# How do mood rings supposedly work **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 28, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mood-rings-supposedly-work/287040 "2005-01-28T02:38:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 2:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mood-rings-supposedly-work/287040/1 "2005-01-28T02:38:10Z")
Does the stone change color based on your mood? What makes it change color, does it’s color have anything to do with your own physiology like blood pressure, how hot/cold your hands are (which is affected by stress) or pulse or is it’s color unrelated to your own physiology? ---
**Author:** ![Joe\_Random](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e8c25b/32.png) [@Joe\_Random](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joe_Random)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 2:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mood-rings-supposedly-work/287040/2 "2005-01-28T02:44:07Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Does the stone change color based on your mood? What makes it change color, does it’s color have anything to do with your own physiology like blood pressure, how hot/cold your hands are (which is affected by stress) or pulse or is it’s color unrelated to your own physiology? It’s all about your [skin temperature](http://science.howstuffworks.com/question443.htm). ---
**Author:** ![spingears](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ebca7d/32.png) [@spingears](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spingears)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mood-rings-supposedly-work/287040/3 "2005-01-28T02:50:33Z")
> [@Wesley Clark](#): > > Does the stone change color based on your mood? What makes it change color, does it’s color have anything to do with your own physiology like blood pressure, how hot/cold your hands are (which is affected by stress) or pulse or is it’s color unrelated to your own physiology? Mood Rings change color due to temperature changes. Changes of mood may cause a bodiy temperature change that in turn will affect the ring color. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 3:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mood-rings-supposedly-work/287040/4 "2005-01-28T03:02:29Z")
> [@spingears](#): > > Changes of mood may cause a body temperature change that in turn will affect the ring color. Well, indirectly. Mood changes affect circulation, which changes the temperature of the extremities. Body temperature stays pretty close to 98.6 unless you are ill or hypothermic. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mood-rings-supposedly-work/287040/5 "2005-01-28T03:07:39Z")
> [@Fear Itself](#): > > Well, indirectly. Mood changes affect circulation, which changes the temperature of the extremities. Body temperature stays pretty close to 98.6 unless you are ill or hypothermic. I’ve read that 98.2 is closer to the actual mean for most people. Is this correct? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 3:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mood-rings-supposedly-work/287040/6 "2005-01-28T03:35:31Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve read that 98.2 is closer to the actual mean for most people. Is this correct? Mine is 99.1 ---
**Author:** ![Morelin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/b5e925/32.png) [@Morelin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Morelin)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2005, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-mood-rings-supposedly-work/287040/7 "2005-01-28T05:13:59Z")
Mine’s 99-something and generally dips down to 97 or lower when I’m sick.