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Does Gold Turn Green?

By Ginny • September 20, 2017 • Gold Guides, Ultimate Guides

Why does my skin turn green from jewelry? Gold shouldn’t stain skin, should it? In this post, I will explain why some people see their skin turning green from jewelry and what to do to keep jewelry from staining your skin.

>> How to tell if gold is real

MY RING TURNS FINGER GREEN – WHY?

Does gold turn green

Pure gold itself will not stain your skin. It is the other metals mixed with gold (to create a metal strong enough to work with in jewelry) that cause the problems. Usually copper, nickel, zinc and palladium are added to change the color of gold, and make it less soft and more affordable. Any one of these metals can oxidize and cause discoloration on your skin.

Among jewelry, gold ring is the easiest to tarnish green as people don’t remove them when doing house chores or washing hands, causing it to react with chemicals in soap and detergents. Therefore to prevent ring from turning fingers green, do remove it before doing house chores or using soap.

>> How to care for gold plated jewelry

WAYS TO KEEP JEWELRY FROM STAINING YOUR SKIN
Avoid certain metals that react with your skin in gold alloy

Does gold turn green

Our Handwriting Necklaces

If a jewelry piece turns your skin green, find out what metals that piece of jewelry contains. Try to avoid that metal in the future by asking the seller before purchasing. If your cheap gold tarnishes to a green color, nickel is likely the culprit. Try to buy nickel-free jewelry and the issue is likely avoided.

Buy gold of higher grade

Does gold turn greenOur 18k Gold Plated Coordinates Bracelets

Try buying gold that is purer such as switching to 18K gold instead of 14K or 12K. This will help reducing the amount of metals mixed in that cause gold to tarnish.  

Stick to yellow gold or try alternative metals

Does gold turn green?

Try to stick to yellow gold instead of white or rose gold as the alloys these other “unnatural” colors are more likely to turn green.

If you love the look of white gold, look into platinum, which is expensive but rarely tarnishes. It also rarely causes allergies, so it is an excellent choice for people with sensitive skin. Titanium is another great precious metal choice that doesn’t stain or causes allergy.

>> What is green gold? Different colors of gold explained

Try clear nail polish

Does gold turn green, try clear nail polish

You could coat the jewelry with clear nail polish. With light use, this coat can last for quite a while.

Remove jewelry before activities

Remove jewelry before activities that can cause tarnishing such as sports or doing house chores that involve water or chemicals. This can help tremendously in keeping jewelry from staining your skin.

SHOP OUR RANGE OF 18K GOLD PLATED JEWELRY:


From Left to Right, Top to Bottom: Gold Necklace With Name In Cursive
– Name Bracelets – Personalized Mothers Bracelet – Mothers Necklace

In the last post in my gold series, we will look into how to care for gold jewelry. If you have any question, do leave a comment below!

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About the Author

Ginny

Hello, it's Ginny. I am a mother of two beautiful kids and I love to do craftwork in my spare time. I started Centime out of a dream to create handmade gifts with a timeless appeal and personal touch. With this blog, I wish to impart my knowledge from years as a jeweler so that you can pick out gifts of everlasting love.

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2 Comments

  • Reply How to Clean Gold – Gold Care Guide | Centime Blog November 1, 2017 at 8:19 am

    […] >> Why does my skin turn green from jewelry? Does gold turn green? […]

  • Reply Lily Barnhart December 1, 2018 at 1:22 pm

    Very informative blog, you have shared such good ways to remove these green stains from the skin. Thanks for sharing.

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply

Hi, I’m Ginny. I run Centime.

Hi, I’m Ginny. I run Centime.
Hi, I'm Ginny. Welcome to Centime's blog. I started Centime because I was sick of generic, branded gifts with no soul. As I have always loved to make my own jewelry and gifts, I dreamed of creating handmade gifts with a timeless appeal and personal touch. Centime was born out of that dream, and I am grateful to be living my dream everyday. All the posts in this blog were written by me, using years of experience as a jeweler so that you can pick out the perfect gifts that are not just gifts but symbols of everlasting love. Love for keeps, we call them. My colleagues and I also occasionally post inspirations and customer stories that touch our heart. We will also keep you updated of any changes going on in our store. I hope you enjoy this blog, and keep loving <3
Ginny of Centime

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