Hypoallergenic earrings

Abstract

A hypoallergenic earring for a pierced human body part such as an ear may have an ear piece of a non-allergenic material removably directly connectable to a pierced ear and engageable with skin of the ear and a separate ornamental piece removably connectable by a fastener to the ear piece. The ear and ornamental pieces may be configured so that when the ear piece is connected to the ear, the ornamental piece normally does not engage the skin of the wearer of the earring.

1 . A hypoallergenic earring for a pierced ear comprising:
 a removable ear piece of a non-allergenic material configured to be removably directly connected to a pierced ear with at least a portion of the ear piece engageable with the skin of the pierced ear;   an allergenic ornamental piece separate from and connectable to the ear piece; and   a fastener releasably connecting the ornamental piece to the ear piece.   
     
     
         2 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener and the ornamental piece are configured so that when they are carried by the removable ear piece when the ear piece is connected to the ear the ornamental piece does not engage the skin of the ear when the head of the wearer is in a normal upright position. 
     
     
         3 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the ear piece is made of a noble metal which, if it has any allergenic material migration, does not migrate at a rate greater than 0.2 μg/cm 2 /week as determined by the test method EN 1811:2011 of the European Union and the REACH Regulation, specifically item 27 of Annex XVII to that regulation. 
     
     
         4 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the non-allergenic material comprises surgical stainless steel having a nickel migration rate not greater than 0.2 μg/cm 2 /week as determined by the test method EN 1811:2011 of the European Union. 
     
     
         5 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the ornamental piece comprises a metal with a nickel constituent. 
     
     
         6 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the removable ear piece comprises a pad of a non-allergenic material carried by the removable ear piece and configured to inhibit the allergenic ornamental piece from contact with the skin of the wearer when the wearer's head is in a normal upright position. 
     
     
         7 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the ear piece comprises a hook of a non-allergenic material configured to be received in a pierced opening through the ear of the wearer of the earring. 
     
     
         8 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the removable ear piece comprises an elongate pin of a non-allergenic material configured to be received in a pierced opening through the ear of the wearer of the earring. 
     
     
         9 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the removable ear piece comprises a loop of a non-allergenic material with an opening and a lever movable to opened and closed positions and when in the closed position overlies the opening in the loop, to retain the loop in a pierced opening of an ear of the wearer of the earring. 
     
     
         10 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises complementary threaded portions of the removable ear piece and the ornamental piece. 
     
     
         11 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises a releasable hook carried by one of the ornamental piece and the removable ear piece and a complementary eye engageable by the hook and carried by the other of the removable ear piece and the ornamental piece. 
     
     
         12 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the fastener comprises an eye carried by one of the removable ear piece and the ornamental piece and a hook carried by the other of the removable ear piece and the ornamental piece and the hook is movable between an open position permitting insertion into and removal from the eye and a closed position releasably retained in the eye. 
     
     
         13 . The earring of  claim 1 , wherein the non-allergenic material of the removable ear piece comprises at least one of, a noble metal, titanium, silicone, acrylic, PTFE, or surgical stainless steel. 
     
     
         14 . Jewelry for a pierced part of a body of a human wearer comprising:
 a removable body piece of a non-allergenic material constructed to be received in a pierced opening in a part of a body of a human wearer;   a separate allergenic ornamental piece configured to be removably carried by the body piece without substantial contact with the skin of the human wearer; and   a fastener releasably attaching the separate ornamental piece to the body piece.   
     
     
         15 . The earring of  claim 14 , wherein the fastener and the ornamental piece are configured so that when they are carried by the removable body piece when the body piece is connected to the body the ornamental piece does not engage the skin of the body when the body of the wearer is in a normal upright position. 
     
     
         16 . The earring of  claim 14 , wherein the body piece is made of a noble metal which, if it has any allergenic material migration, does not migrate at a rate greater than 0.2 μg/cm 2 /week as determined by the test method EN 1811:2011 of the European Union and the REACH Regulation, specifically item 27 of Annex XVII to that regulation. 
     
     
         17 . The earring of  claim 14 , wherein the removable body piece comprises a pad of a non-allergenic material carried by the removable body piece and configured to inhibit the allergenic ornamental piece from contact with the skin of the wearer when the wearer's body is in a normal upright position. 
     
     
         18 . The earring of  claim 14 , wherein the non-allergenic material comprises surgical stainless steel having a nickel migration rate not greater than 0.2 μg/cm 2 /week as determined by the test method EN 1811:2011 of the European Union. 
     
     
         19 . The earring of  claim 14 , wherein the fastener comprises a releasable hook carried by one of the ornamental piece and the removable body piece and a complementary eye engageable by the hook and carried by the other of the removable body piece and the ornamental piece. 
     
     
         20 . The earring of  claim 14 , wherein the non-allergenic material of the removable body piece comprises at least one of, a noble metal, titanium, silicone, acrylic, PTFE, or surgical stainless steel.