Why Does This Ring Turn My Finger Green? It's a tale as old as time: You grabbed that cute ring on mega sale and you've been getting
compliments on it all day. Then, when you take it off, it leaves a green
stain in its place. Ew. The good news: While that mark may be initially
alarming, it doesn't necessarily mean you have to give up on your
favourite accessories. That stain is usually a result of a metal in the
jewellery reacting with your skin — or something on your skin, such as
hand lotion. Copper is often to blame. When the acids on your sweaty
skin (or in your lotion) cause copper jewellery to corrode, the process
creates copper salts. These blue-green compounds can leave a mark on
your skin in that iconic shade we call "Statue of Liberty Teal." Other
metals can produce similar effects: The silver present in sterling
silver — and used as an alloy in a fair amount of gold
Cheap Jewellery Shops — can oxidise when it comes in contact with skin. This causes
tarnishing and can leave you with a dark-green or black stain. Although
these marks are often associated with cheaper jewellery, they can happen
with the pricey stuff, too. But, stainless steel and white gold are
usually immune.
