Why does jewelry turn your skin green?

I have vivid memories of wearing rings from Clarie's and removing them to see green bands on my fingers. I paid it no mind but, two decades later, with a jewelry company, I discovered that my nonchalance was not indicative of my customers. I’m often asked why jewelry turns skin green or if brass will turn their skin green. and I always like to encourage people to think about metal like fabrics. Different fabrics require different care and some are more particular than others. For example, our sweat is more prone to stain silk. For brass, our oils are more prone to cause green discoloration. Its not so much the jewelry, but us.

Why does jewelry turn your skin green?

Metals such as brass and copper are often know for turning your skin green. When metal alloys come in contact with certain oils on our skin, it causes the alloys to create a protective barrier between the surface and the oils. Its basically a metal's natural defensive mechanism from erosion. However jewelry turning green does not happen to everyone. If your natural oils, perfume, body care don't cause alarm, there won't be any green barrier or little to none. Jewelry doesn't turn green because its cheap, the jewelry wearer causes the jewelry to turn green.

Is the green skin from jewelry harmful

No, the green residue is not harmful and is not 100% indicative of an allergy. It can be wiped and will fade in a day or so.

Sun Choker in brass

While some of this is dependent on your natural skin chemistry, you can avoid spraying perfume or using body care directly on jewelry. Remember to wipe off sweat from jewelry during hot weather and opt to take off jewelry before a workout. For rings, remove before washing hands to prevent any moisture build up.

How to prevent jewelry from turning your skin green:

• Avoid spraying perfume or applying lotion directly on jewelry

• Wipe off sweat, especially in hot weather

• Remove jewelry before working out

• Take rings off before washing your hands

• Store jewelry in a dry place when not in use

Brass provides an option to play and create large gold pieces without the hefty price tag of solid gold  (current market price)or even gold filled. The alternative to a gold metal is plated gold jewelry, but that also comes along with a variation of pros and cons. At the end of the day, no metal is completely maintenance-free. It comes down to what works best with your body chemistry and how you care for it.