Can Gold Jewelry Turn Green?

Have you ever been wearing jewelry and your finger turned green? You might think that this happens after wearing it for hours on end. But the problem is the jewelry and not necessarily the activities you have done or the amount of time you have been wearing it. Most people will also notice that the jewelry itself gets duller over time and you might end up throwing the pieces away.

So, does gold jewelry turn green, or is there something that is missing in the story? Let’s take a closer look at the answer to this question.

Will Gold Turn Green?

Let’s get straight to the point and answer the question. No, gold jewelry will not typically turn green. We are talking about pure gold and those pieces that are not made from other metals. This is often referred to as 24-karat gold. Therefore, you can wear these pieces and know that it will not turn green, rust or get tarnished, no matter how many times you wear them. This is because gold does not combine with oxygen.

But not everybody wants to wear 24-karat gold. It can be expensive to buy and it is generally not recommended for everyday wear. Instead, people like to wear 22-karat gold jewelry. This still has a high percentage of gold, which means that it will not go green. There can be some traces, but this is unlikely to happen.

Something you do have to watch is the pendants on gold necklaces. You should make sure you know what they are made of and whether they contain gemstones or other materials. To buy high-quality pendants, check out https://queenofheartsjewelry.us/product-category/pendants/. They have 22-karat gold pendants that are going to last for many years and not go green in the same way that lower-karat gold can do.

What Makes the Skin Turn Green?

In some cases, it will not be the jewelry itself that turns green. Instead, it will show a discoloration on the skin where you have been wearing the piece. For example, this can be around your finger if you have been wearing a ring. Alternatively, it can show up on your wrist if you have been wearing a bracelet or bangle. There are different reasons why this can occur on the skin.

You Have Acidic Skin

If you have acidic skin, this can cause green marks to appear when you have been wearing jewelry. This is more likely to have with jewelry that is not gold. But, if you are wearing a gold piece that contains nickel or copper, you might see a green discoloration appear. This can happen after sweating or simply just after wearing the jewelry for a long time.

You Are Allergic

Some people are allergic to gold. This means that they can exhibit certain symptoms when they have been wearing gold jewelry. You might not realize that you are allergic until after you take it off. In particular, you will have dermatitis, which can show itself as green discoloration. If this occurs, you should avoid wearing the jewelry that caused it.

How Can I Prevent Green Discoloration?

If you want to avoid green discoloration on your skin at all costs, there are some things you can do. Here are some tips to prevent it from happening again.

Look at the Karats

The general rule is that the higher the number of karats you have, the less likely the gold jewelry is to leave green discoloration. So, you want to choose a high number of karats in order to avoid this. Namely, a good number for most people is 22-karat gold.

Choose Yellow Gold

There are some people that say the type of gold matters too. For example, you may think that rose gold is trendy right now. But, it is said that it will turn green more than yellow gold does. So, if you want to lower the risk of this happening, stick to yellow gold.

Avoid Copper and Nickel

If you are not buying pieces that are pure gold, they are going to contain other metals and alloys. What you want to do is find out what they are. In particular, you want to stay away from copper and nickel, which turns more people’s skin green than other options. Often, a jewelry brand will be able to tell you what has been used in a piece.

Share this:

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*