You’ve bought yourself a beautiful piece of sterling silver jewelry, and have been enjoying wearing it, but notice your skin underneath the item has begun to turn green. There are several reasons why this may happen—from weather to body chemistry—and it doesn’t necessarily mean the jewelry is cheap.

Read on to learn how sterling silver jewelry is made, and why it may cause skin to turn green. We’ll also share some tips to avoid this from happening, and provide advice on how to resolve the issue if it happens to you or one of your customers.

What’s Causing the Color?

There are several factors that can cause a reaction between jewelry and your skin, like outdoor humidity, sweat, the natural acidity of your skin or the skin products you use (like hand sanitizer, sunscreen or moisturizers), or if you are allergic to copper or another base metal used during manufacturing. Some people’s hormones and body chemistry are more prone to a reaction even when a small amount of copper is present.

Stopping the Reaction

There are ways to stop your jewelry, and your skin, from turning green. First, invest in high-quality products from Nugent Jewelry! We strive to use the lowest amount of copper in all our sterling silver jewelry, and our silver has anti-tarnish superpowers. Learn more about why our silver is different in this video. Of course, everyone is different so your chemical composition may change things, but we strive to make sterling silver reactions a non-issue.

To prevent jewelry from staining your skin, we suggest you:

• Not wear jewelry on hot, humid days. Sweat causes the metals to oxidize against your skin, causing discoloration.
• Keep your skin dry when wearing jewelry. Remove rings when washing your hands or be sure to dry the skin under your jewelry if it does get wet to avoid trapping moisture.
• Don’t wear jewelry while working out, doing dishes or swimming. Chlorine and copper do not play well together.
• Remove your jewelry when cleaning your home, car, etc. A lot of commercial cleaning products contain chlorine and other corrosive chemicals, which can harm your jewelry and quicken oxidation.
• Remove your jewelry occasionally, to give your skin a chance to breathe. This is especially true for rings and earrings.
• Keep your jewelry clean and tarnish-free (read more of our care tips here)

Getting Rid of the Green

If your sterling silver jewelry has turned your skin green, don’t worry; it’s not a permanent discoloration so you shouldn’t be concerned about any long-term effects. Remove the green tint by gently rubbing with a washcloth, warm water, and a couple drops of dish soap. If that doesn’t do the trick try a little rubbing alcohol, nail polish remover, or makeup remover; but be careful with those products as they could be drying to skin.

Discover the Nugent Experience

Nugent Jewelry is committed to providing the highest quality jewelry designed for both comfort and style, suitable for every day wear. We make jewelry that lasts for generations. Our process is easy on the environment, ensuring a world of natural beauty for generations to come.

If you or one of your customers experiences green skin with our jewelry, contact your account executive or reach out to customer care and we’ll help with prevention and explore other pieces. Not a wholesaler? Find a retailer near you and discover the Nugent Experience for yourself!