Why do your jewels turn your fingers green?

It is not surprising that more and more people are experiencing this type of problem, as with the use of social media and the tremendous globalization we are experiencing, there are increasingly more people who see a nice ring on an unknown page and, being cheap, decide to buy it.

Find out what causes your jewelry to turn your fingers green!

However, far from being a success, this is nothing but a mistake. And why? Well, because besides not aesthetically favoring your image, wearing green fingers due to the jewelry you wear, the truth is that the most important disadvantage is that this green is causing harm to your skin.

Keep reading and find out why your fingers turn green and how to avoid it!

1. Reason why your jewelry leaves green marks on your fingers

Indeed, you are not the first or the last to wonder why that pretty ring you bought not long ago is already leaving the green mark that we don't like so much. Well, today we give you the answer: the material. One of the material components that most often appears in conversations, blogs, and studies when it comes to this topic is the hated, especially in the jewelry sector, Nickel.

It is a ferromagnetic material whose use the EU limited in 2015 for making jewelry pieces. Since then, only a maximum of 0.28 micrograms per square centimeter is allowed. Therefore, this regulation gives us reason to think that if we are indeed experiencing green fingers due to the new and fantastic ring we have bought, it is highly likely that it is made of this material.

Another possible cause may be that the jewelry is of poor quality and is plated in gold with a rather thin layer that, when the plating wears off, the skin comes into contact with the metal.

It should be noted that, as we mentioned before, there are factors that can favor this happening, such as sweating or not removing the jewelry when using any other chemical product such as soap, disinfectant, or cologne.

What happens in these cases is that the minerals and chemicals present in sweat and other products can react with these chemical elements and corrode the material, creating copper salts and causing that green tint to impregnate our skin.

2. Materials to avoid

As such, there are materials that do not cause allergies or stain the skin, such as gold and silver. However, the problem is that when used in jewelry, they are usually mixed with other materials such as Tin or Nickel.

This is the case with so-called sterling silver, which, being 7.5% copper and alloyed with gold, can oxidize when it comes into contact with the skin, leaving a not-green but rather dark trace.

Therefore, if gold and silver are usually alloys, then what material should we buy?

Well, the truth about these mixtures is that gold and silver are materials that are too soft, which makes it necessary to mix them with others.

Therefore, the important thing when we value a material of this caliber is not that it is 24k gold (which is the maximum), but that among the materials it contains, we try to avoid some such as Nickel or Tin since there are certain materials that are more prone to corrosion and have more possibilities of oxidation and salinization with intensity losses or changes in color and brightness.

Therefore, if we buy jewelry that is made or plated with 22K, 18K, 14K, or even 10K gold, we will already be choosing the materials of our jewelry well.

Today, we give you a little tip since sometimes knowing what materials the jewel contains cannot always be known as we would have to analyze it in-depth.

However, you can know them by looking at the color of gold since it varies depending on the quantity and type of metal it contains:

- White gold when mixed with materials such as palladium, silver, and nickel. -  - Rose gold when mixed with copper. Therefore, the more copper, the more pink.

- Green gold is when mixed with copper or silver. The amount of these materials will determine if the green is more yellowish or bluish.

- Black gold: This occurs when yellow, white, or rose gold is coated with a controlled oxidation process. The result will be an intense black color.

3. Harm

Although as such, this change in the color of our skin towards that greener tone is not dangerous, it may be that we are using materials that are harmful to our skin, which we must take care of.

Especially in cases where materials such as Cadmium, Nickel, or Tin are used. The reason for this is that many people tend to be allergic to these types of materials, so wearing them can cause, beyond that greenish color, other types of reactions such as contact dermatitis, blisters, or rashes.

If, even by avoiding low-quality jewelry, you continue to have redness, it is ideal to visit a dermatologist so that they can tell you if you are indeed allergic to any of these materials.

4. Remedies to prevent green marks on your fingers from rings

After discussing the types of materials we should avoid (remember, mainly Cadmium, Nickel, and Tin), the first thing we should do is make sure that when we purchase jewelry, we are informed or that it has a label stating that it is Nickel-free.

In addition, in our post on 8 tips for buying quality jewelry, you will find many other tips to avoid that horrible green mark on your fingers and ears. Some of them are:

- Buy quality jewelry from brands you trust.

- Pay attention to the materials used and the type of plating

- Buy from brands that produce artisanally.

- Look for quality and originality.

- Get informed and ask for expert opinions.

In our case, at LAVANI, we make pieces that last as long as possible with a high-resistance gold finish that prevents discoloration and oxidation.

Additionally, all of our jewelry is made with high-quality semiprecious stones. Wonders of nature with unique reflections and colors that turn each piece of jewelry into a unique item. Finally, we have the rule of not using Cadmium, Tin or Nickel, and in addition, we cover them with a protective layer of lacquer and noble metals so that they don't cause reactions and take care of your skin.

Visit our website https://lavanijewels.com and discover all the jewelry, materials and stones we use in our artisan workshops located in Valencia!