Why Does Cheap Jewelry Turn the Skin Green?
Have you ever worn a ring and the next day had a green mark where your ring was? If so, you know that this can be embarrassing, because usually this indicates that your jewelry is cheap. But the real question is why does jewelry turn our skin green? Well, there are several reasons. Does this Spark an idea?
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Oxidization
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Green skin from jewelry can be caused if you have a high acidity level to your skin. High acidity levels react with silver and make it oxidize, which produces the green color on your skin. In high temperatures, your jewelry is more likely to oxidize. So if you have jewelry that you know occasionally turns your skin green, avoid wearing it in warm weather.
Copper and Nickel
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Copper and nickel are both materials that are used in cheap jewelry to make it look nice. Unfortunately, these two materials are also more susceptible to oxidization. These materials combined with the oil from your skin may cause them to leave behind a green smudge on your skin.
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Alloys
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Many times jewelry is made up of alloys, or a combination of metals. Silver, and gold in lower karats, have alloys added to make them more durable and affordable. Sometimes people are allergic to certain alloys. The allergic reaction that results from wearing jewelry with alloys can be that green color on your skin. To avoid this, wear higher-quality gold or silver, 18 karats are usually safe if you have allergies to certain alloys. You can also try wearing hypoallergenic jewelry, which does not contain alloys that are highly reactive.
Lotion and Soap
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You may also notice a green color to your skin when you wear jewelry after putting on certain lotion or washing with certain soap. This reaction is all about how the chemicals in soap and lotion react with inexpensive jewelry.
Plated or Filled Gold
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Often, to make gold more affordable, the jewelry will be made with alloys and then finished with a thin layer of gold. This is called plated gold. This type of jewelry can still turn your skin green, it just might not happen right away. Eventually the thin layer of gold will rub off and you will be left with the alloys underneath that will turn your skin green.
The same applies for filled gold jewelry. Usually filled gold is a little bit more expensive and contains a little bit more gold. The layer of gold covering the base layer of alloys is thicker, giving you more wear before it rubs off and starts turning your skin green.
How to Avoid Turning Your Skin Green
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The easiest way to avoid green skin from jewelry is to buy pure gold jewelry or platinum jewelry. For people who cannot afford this option, you should try hypoallergenic jewelry or jewelry that is lined with rhodium plating. Rhodium is used to make jewelry durable while giving it that same shiny look without turning skin green.
A quicker fix--which must be repeated frequently--is to put clear nail polish on the parts of the jewelry that touch your skin. As long as the polish lasts, the metal doesn't contact your skin and so can't turn it green.
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