Which metal is known as Devil's metal?

The name goes back to German miners who found a red-brown ore that looked like copper but yielded no copper. They blamed a mischievous spirit, Nickel, and called the ore kupfernickel, or Devil's copper. From that ore they extracted a metal they named nickel, and the nickname Devil's metal stuck.

For wedding rings, nickel matters because it is a common cause of contact allergies. Many white gold alloys contain nickel to make them harder and whiter, and some cheaper jewellery uses nickel plating. If your skin reacts to costume jewellery, ask your jeweller for nickel-free options. Palladium, platinum and many modern white gold alloys are made without nickel, and titanium and zirconium are naturally nickel-free.

If you already have a ring that bothers your skin, a jeweller can often re-plate it or you can choose a different metal for your wedding ring. Your skin's comfort matters more than tradition, and there are plenty of beautiful nickel-free choices.