For those who may be sensitive to metals and who want to get their ears pierced, doctors may recommend using nickel-free studs and a stainless steel needle. However, skin discoloration is not permanent or harmful. Sterling Silver is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. In fact, getting green skin from certain metals is a common reaction and does not hurt or harm your skin. For this Balinese artisan, the day began like any other. Unfortunately, some people’s biological responses and genetic chemistry predispose them to skin discoloration. How long can you expect the blackened patina on jewelry to last? Have you ever had a piece of jewelry turn your skin green, and wondered why it does that? It's not really the silver (Sterling silver is “925”) that turns your finger green as such as many people wear silver without this happening. Copper and nickel—both known to discolor skin. Try and keep lotions, soap and other chemicals away from your skin. It acts as a barrier between your skin and the metals. Acidic sweat and chemicals are the biggest cause of the green color. The crap you find in a cheapo drugstore ring is only silver by color, not by content...usually they're alloys of nickel and/or aluminum. Even jewelry made of sterling silver or gold can produce some discoloration for some people. However, when sterling silver tarnishes, it usually leaves a black stain on your skin. If you have a skin sensitivity to certain metals, you might see a discoloration if you wear jewelry containing nickel. Doesn’t seem fair does it? Pure silver is too soft to use in jewelry, so it is alloyed with copper to create sterling silver (92.5% silver + 7.5% copper). Yes. Safety for Sensitive Skin: sterling silver is a 100% non-reactive metal which can be put in direct contact with your skin without producing adverse reactions. After that, your rings will not turn your skin green because the copper has been removed from the surface of the sterling. Get your jewelry rhodium plated, which will put a layer of protection between the jewelry and your skin and also increase the lifespan of your jewelry. If you have sensitive skin, you may have better luck with stainless steel jewelry, platinum, and rhodium plated jewelry. It depends on the alloy mixture, but most alloys contain nickel and copper, both of which commonly cause skin discoloration. Only cheap metals like copper do that - it's called oxidization, and occurs due to the metal's contact with sweat and organic matter (skin). While it does contain traces of nickel, it is not released from the steel because it is very well integrated into the material. So can yellow gold jewelry! Why You Should Stop Buying Brass Jewelry There are few reasons not to wear jewelry made of cheap base metals, but allergic reactions are definitely at the top of the list - and brass jewelry is the number 1 culprit for these metal allergies. Essentially, it comes down to your chemical composition and how your body reacts to certain jewelry metals. Well, we should also mention that there are holistic and spiritual benefits of wearing copper. While it is possible to have sterling silver that doesn’t turn your finger green, much depends on environmental factors. Sterling silver stored in an unclean condition in a damp place may develop crusty green deposits from corrosion of the copper in the silver alloy. However, there are a variety of jewelry metals that turn your skin green. Remove your jewelry when cleaning. Those people with moist skin may also notice green discoloration due to tarnished sterling silver. Intermittently remove jewelry items to alleviate skin discoloration and give your skin a chance to breathe. The “green” is a reaction between your body's own chemistry (which varies from from person to person) and the metal. Nickel is more expensive, but it will last for a lifetime and much more durable. It depends on who is wearing the jewelry. Does anybody out there understand the effect where sterling silver will turn some peoples skin green but not others? Sterling Silver Sterling silver is 7.5 percent copper, but the most common stains from sterling silver jewelry are black, and occur when the metal tarnishes (darkens due to a reaction with gases in the air). Sterling silver usually contains about 7% copper, so you can get the green discoloration too. With death hovering over her young son, this Guatemalan artist discovered the depths of sorrow. As you can see, many metals and alloys cause skin discoloration when combined with the elements. Discoloration from sterling silver. Which is why it’s a good idea to remove jewelry during these activities. You may find applying a polymer coating to the inside of your jewelry to be helpful. Sterling silver is prone to tarnish due to contact with sulphur compounds. The silver in anything marked Sterling or 925 is not going to likely turn you green. Is your silver jewelry ... raises the acidity of the skin and could tarnish the silver. If your skin turns green after wearing a necklace or earrings, it most likely includes some amount of brass in its metal composition. Following these steps will help you minimize skin discoloration and get back to enjoying your beautiful jewelry items. Costume jewelry, sterling silver or fake gold can sometimes leave a green mark on your skin after wear. It’s the tarnish that can change the color of your skin. Contrary to popular belief that cheap jewelry causes skin discoloration, jewelry turns skin green as the result of a chemical reaction. You bet. Though you might assume this is an infection or an allergic reaction, this is actually the result of a chemical reaction taking place on your skin. There are several jewelry metals that cause your skin to turn green. Re-blackening is a quick process and often offered as a free service from … The other metals, usually copper, will oxidize with the skin or the air cause the sterling silver to tarnish or your skin to turn green. She harvests what others reject. Mixed Metals The typical silver ring is not made of pure silver, but rather it is an alloy or mixed metal. That said, because the material is a composition of other metals (as pure silver is usually too soft for earring posts), be sure to look for a 925 stamp, which ensures the silver is 92.5% pure and will therefore be less likely to irritate your skin. It’s essentially an oxidation process that occurs when you combine certain jewelry metals with skin. However, fortunately there are many ways to keep sterling silver from tarnishing. Advice for preventing your skin from turning green isn’t as simple as avoiding less costly jewelry. Some sterling pieces are coated with products that help keep them from tarnishing, but the coatings will wear off in time. Reversible Alpaca Blend Ruana, “Andean Vistas in Taupe”. If your sterling silver jewelry is staining your skin green, it’s most likely a reaction from the copper. Those people with moist skin may also notice green discoloration due to tarnished sterling silver. An allergic reaction could be symptoms like itchy skin or a rash. That silver jewelry that turns black would be made of a less silver content or even be no silver, is incorrect and a myth. If a ring turns finger green, it is either this tarnishing or it is happening because your skin is sensitive to copper, which is present in sterling silver in very minute quantities. 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