Why do earrings and rings discolor and stain our skin?

It's common to buy rings orearrings from a well-known fashion chain. They're exceptionally designed, but often, after wearing them for a while, they begin to discolor. Not only that, they also leave a black stain on your skin. Or, forearrings , they create a strange greenish patina. Don't worry, it's not an allergy to nickel or other components. It's just a chemical reaction.

Exactly, this strange effect is caused by the interaction of our sweat with the material of our jewelry . In fact, it means our jewelry will have a high percentage of copper in the alloy it's made of. Sometimes it's just a result of our natural pH interacting with various materials.

This phenomenon is most noticeable inearrings , rings, and necklaces precisely because they remain in direct contact with the skin for long periods of time. If we think of bracelets or watches, for example, they move more frequently, so it's difficult to see the effects.

When in contact with the skin, copper releases a type of salt that discolors jewelry , staining the skin. If we notice that almost all the jewelry we own has this effect, the solution is to buy steel jewelry . In fact, stainless steel is rustproof. Therefore, when in contact with sweat, it doesn't react. You can also buy 925 sterling silver jewelry , which contains low amounts of copper, if you want something more expensive.

In the meantime, to remedy the discoloration, you can try cleaning the jewelry with a lemon and water solution or baking soda. But often, it won't return to its former state. The only thing we can do with our favorite ring is apply a coat of clear nail polish to the inside. This way, the part that comes into contact with the skin will be protected from the polish and will no longer discolor, thus avoiding those unsightly halos on our fingers.

And that's whyearrings and rings discolor and stain our skin. And we know how to fix it, at least in part. So we can show off our fashionable jewelry without any problems.


You may be interested in:


Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.