The Top Metal-Free Jewelry (Review) in 2023

Things to Consider When Choosing Metal-Free Jewelry

Jewelry can be made from various materials, including wood, shells, plastic, glass, ceramic, rubber, and many more. The material you choose depends on your stylistic preference, as well as any allergies you may have to certain materials.

Wooden jewelry

Wooden jewelry is an eco-friendly option that can be carved into intricate and interesting shapes. They are unique looking and are hypoallergenic. The downside is they are more easily damaged than many metal pieces of jewelry, and if you purchase a wooden ring, it is difficult to resize.

Shell jewelry

Shell jewelry has been around for thousands of years. The oldest piece of shell jewelry was found in Morocco and is 82,000 years old. So if you want to feel close to your ancestors and another time, shell jewelry is a wonderful way to do so.

Shell jewelry is currently on-trend and looks fabulous with a variety of styles. The most popular shells used are mother-of-pearl,  paua, oyster, cowrie, puka, abalone, and puka.

We recommend doing a little research into where the shells in your jewelry come from. The manufacturer should be transparent about this. Shells must be found and collected from beaches where it is legal to do so. Mass harvesting of shells is extremely damaging to marine life.

Plastic jewelry

If you are looking for jewelry only used on the surface of your skin, such as necklaces, bracelets, or rings, plastic jewelry can be an affordable alternative to metal gems and stones. There are plenty of beautiful plastic beads that look just like the real thing. 

You can get plastic diamonds, pearls, and leather, to create the look you had in mind without a massive price tag. However, if you are looking for jewelry that will be used inside piercings, it is recommended that you use bioplastic.

Bioplastic has been manufactured to be biologically compatible with our bodies and reduce the chance of infection from a new piercing. In addition, some piercers believe it is better than metal jewelry and has the benefit of being more flexible than metal.

Glass jewelry

There are several types of glass jewelry you may want to check out. These include fused glass, dichroic glass, glass beads, Murano glass, and sea glass.

Fused glass is a mixture of different colored glass that has been melted and combined. This type of glass is usually seen in earrings and pendants. Due to how this jewelry is made, it is almost impossible to get the same design twice.

Dichroic glass looks almost magical. When the light hits it at different angles, it refracts different colors. To put it simply, dichroic glass is a mixture of colored glass melted together. You can find out more with a quick internet search.

Glass beads are like plastic, a great alternative to genuine stones. You can get many different designs of metal-free glass bead necklaces and bracelets. They often have an elasticated material holding them together.

Murano glass uses an old glass working technique to create flowers in the glass. Each Murano glass piece must be made by hand and takes years of practice. Unsurprisingly, any type of jewelry that uses this material will be rather expensive.

Sea glass is glass that has fallen into the sea and has been smoothed by the waves. Sea glass is a beautiful material and has been on an incredible journey before it arrived on your jewelry. 

Ceramic jewelry

Ceramic jewelry is often colorful and unique. This material is growing in popularity for jewelry such as wedding rings. It is durable, comfortable, and hypoallergenic.

Rubber jewelry

Silicone is a mixture of synthetic rubber and plastic polymers. Silicone rings have become a popular alternative to metal rings because they are hypoallergenic, comfortable, and durable. They are also available in a broader range of designs and colors compared to metal rings.

Leather jewelry

Leather is durable and looks great as part of a bracelet. It is an excellent alternative to metal chains. However, leather is not suitable for vegans, so if you like to buy jewelry as a gift, do not buy leather for vegans.

Acrylic jewelry 

Look for jewelry that uses high-quality acrylic materials. For example, using high-quality acrylic balls on a piercing bar is often safer than cheap metal balls. In addition, PMMA acrylic will not react with your skin, so this is a good alternative if you usually have allergic reactions to metal jewelry.

Other

For more ideas of non-metal jewelry items, you can check out paper, pebbles, feathers, and bone. Pretty much any material can be turned into jewelry these days!

How We Chose Our Favorite Metal-Free Jewelry

To choose the perfect metal-free jewelry, we considered the item’s style, durability, and price. If the product was intended to look like metal or replicate something it was not, we judged how well this was achieved. We also read countless customer reviews to ensure we only suggested products that were popular and on-trend.

Metal-Free Jewelry Price Range

Metal-free jewelry is inexpensive by nature. You can expect to pay between $7 and $20 for a piece of metal-free jewelry or a complete metal-free jewelry set.

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