Why do the rings turn the skin on my fingers green?

Jewelry made of silver, brass or bronze can leave green spots on the skin for some people and although it is not harmful to health, below we will explain why this happens and how we can solve it.

Silver, brass or bronze have different metals in their composition. Sterling silver, for example, is made up of 92.5% silver and the remaining 7.5% of other metals, including copper. Copper is also used to make brass or bronze and is the cause of some people’s skin turning green.

Why does it turn some people’s skin green?

People who have acidic skin ph cause copper to chemically react with sweat and release copper chloride leaving a greenish stain on the skin. If hand cream or skin products are used, they can also contribute to the chemical reaction and the consequent appearance of spots.

How can I solve that?

The stain on the skin can be easily removed with an acetone-free nail polish remover, with a little alcohol, or you can also use make-up remover discs.

So that the ring does not leave you green, you can apply a specific lacquer such as Zapón lacquer or you can also use a transparent nail polish on the inside of the ring. Remember not to wear the pieces when showering, exercising or going to the pool and that they have as little contact as possible with water to avoid oxidation. For the maintenance of the pieces you can follow the advice in this link “Maintenance of silver, brass, bronze and anodized aluminum parts”.