Nickel is a hard, silver-white,, lustrous metal that is often used in alloys and to plate other metals. It has a wide range of applications and is used to make everything from wire and military equipment to coins, jewelry and more. In jewelry, nickel is often used in white gold along with zinc, and copper to increase its resistance to bending and scratching. Jewelers like to use nickel as an alloy because it is inexpensive and adds durability and luster to other metals. However, for many people, nickel is quite toxic and can cause an allergic reaction to jewelry with nickel.
