text: Karat refers to the proportion of gold in your jewelery.  The higher the karat, the more gold it contains.  24 karat is 100 percent gold, while 9 karat is only 37 percent gold.  The rest of it is made from zinc, copper, nickel, etc.  You are most likely allergic to the nickel, many people are.  Gold is actually a very bio-compatible metal.  The most common symptoms are a rash and itching.\n\nhttp://jewelry.about.com/od/jewelrymetals/a/gold_jewelry.htm\nhttp://www.aocd.org/skin/dermatologic_diseases/nickel_allergy.html