8 Reasons Why Ring Turns Your Finger Green: Life Hacks To Prevent It!

This article is to help you understand the common causes of skin discoloration and measures to take to prevent it. There are eight factors that may cause your skin to turn green, black, or purple. It depends on the metal content of your ring. Even 14k gold may cause skin discoloration.

Other factors include a chemical environment or chemical reaction between acids in your skin, your body's immune response, a reaction with another substance, sweating or exercising on a daily basis, stress, pregnancy, chlorine, and cosmetics.

The discoloration on the skin is not harmful. It usually fades within a few days after you stop wearing the jewelry.

1. The Metal Content of the Ring

Rings made of gold, silver, tungsten, nickel, or cobalt may cause skin discoloration. If that happens to you, you should not worry that your ring is harmful to your skin or made of low-quality material.

In fact, the discoloration is your finger’s chemical reaction to the metals used in the ring's metal alloy.

14K White Gold Rings

The rings that tend to discolor fingers the most are 14k white gold rings. It happens because the rhodium plating wears off. You can notice the yellow color of the gold underneath. Rhodium is a metal that is used to plate white gold rings so they appear white. Rhodium does not react with other elements.

Once the rhodium wears away, the other metals that are alloyed with the gold get exposed to chemicals that you come in contact with on a daily basis.

Such chemicals are generally not harmful to the skin. However, they may not react well with the metals used to alloy the gold, which results in the green or black ring discoloration on your finger.

Sterling Silver Rings

Silver rings may turn your finger green or black. The reason is that silver reacts with acids and air to tarnish to a black color. Acids cause the silver to oxidize, which produces tarnish. The tarnish can leave a dark ring on your finger. Sterling silver contains a small percentage of copper, which may cause green discoloration.

Jewelry made using copper or a copper alloy reacts with oxygen to form copper oxide, or verdigris. This causes green discoloration on your skin.

Tungsten Rings

Tungsten Rings may contain a small percentage of cobalt or nickel.

If you are sensitive to cobalt or nickel, you may see skin discoloration from wearing a ring containing those materials. The discoloration from tungsten rings may also occur due to the following factors.

2. A Chemical Environment or Chemical Reaction With Acids in Your Skin

There are several metals that oxidize or react with your skin and cause discoloration. Tungsten rings are made of tungsten metal and may also contain some percentage of cobalt or nickel. Another cause of discoloration may be a reaction to the metal of the jewelry. Some people are sensitive to any of a number of metals used in rings, especially copper and nickel.

3. Your Body’s Immune Response to the Jewelry

While some chemicals we can avoid, others we cannot. One of the main sources of those chemicals is from the perspiration of our own skin. The alloy metals found in white gold and sterling silver can easily react with your skin’s sweat and acids. Alloys, such as nickel and copper, can cause allergic reactions, which can discolor your skin

4. A Reaction Between Another Substance, Such as a Lotion, and the Metal of the Ring

It is suggested to avoid constant exposure to water, chemicals, lotions, tan sprays, antibacterial soaps, wipes, hairsprays. Removal of your rings before bathing or swimming, especially in saltwater or water containing chlorine will protect your jewelry from damage. Applying lotions to your hands while wearing a ring increases the chance that the ring, chemicals, and your skin will react.

5. Stress and Excessive Sweating

People who sweat more or exercise on a daily basis are more likely to face this problem. In some cases, stress also causes perspiration.

These skin chemicals contain sodium chloride, salt, and other acidic properties such as lactic acid. When these skin secretions react with the ring metals, the gold ring may turn your finger green.

Depending on the metals used in the ring, you may experience different colors. If the alloy material is copper, you will have a green or blue color on your skin. Copper may cause green discoloration on your skin.

The discoloration around the finger is generally harmless and can usually be washed away. Changes in skin chemistry and pH may affect how metals in a ring react with your skin.

6. Pregnancy

Pregnancy can bring changes in hormones, skin, and perspiration, which may affect how your skin reacts with certain metals. If a ring leaves temporary green discoloration, removing the ring and washing the area may help the color fade.

7. Chlorine

One of the most common chemicals we come into contact with on a daily basis is chlorine. It is commonly found in pools, hot tubs, or tap water. Chlorine can be harmful to jewelry and may affect certain metals and finishes over time.

8. Cosmetics and Lotions

You may come in contact with chemicals from cosmetics or lotions on a daily basis. Many cosmetics contain minerals. Some of those materials are very hard and may affect your ring at a microscopic level.

This is called “metallic abrasion”. When metallic abrasion occurs, tiny metallic particles are worn off onto your skin. This may form a black dust on your finger. To avoid this, remove your jewelry before applying lotions or makeup.

Life Hacks That Will Prevent and Fix the Discoloration

1. Take care of your ring and clean it on a weekly basis. Use a polishing cloth to wipe silver jewelry. This may help reduce tarnish and discoloration.

2. The best thing you can do is remove your tungsten ring before washing, bathing, or exposing it to chemicals, chlorine, antibacterial soaps, hairsprays, tan sprays, lotions, or wipes.

Remove your ring before going to the pool, sweating, or exercising.

3. Some people use clear nail polish or other coatings to create a temporary barrier between the ring and the skin. However, these coatings can wear away over time, so we do not recommend this method.

4. If your ring needs cleaning, use mild soap, warm water, and a soft cloth. Avoid harsh chemicals or acidic cleaners, especially on rings with plated finishes, inlays, or decorative elements. Dry the ring thoroughly after cleaning.