Originally Posted by myrgirl
The style of the jewelry seems to make a difference as well. I've noticed a woman can come through with several chain bracelets on and not alarm but a woman with one tiny solid bangle will alarm every time. Even more intriguing are the Cape Cod bracelets. They alarm when they're closed, but don't when they're open.
You are quite right, though all those pieces of jewelry may be composed of different metals.
An item that is oriented in the direction of the field (perpendicular) is less likely to have a detectable effect than one oriented parallel to the direction of the field.