# Jewlery turning skin green?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewlery-turning-skin-green/53178>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [February 5, 2001, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewlery-turning-skin-green/53178 "2001-02-05T06:23:21Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![mfield31](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7cd45c/32.png) [@mfield31](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mfield31)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 6:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewlery-turning-skin-green/53178/1 "2001-02-05T06:23:21Z")

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Does anyone know why cheap jewlery turns my skin green? I’d imagine it is some chemical in my body that reacts to something in the metal but if I wear any silver(gold is ok) jewelry, my fingers and neck will turn green. It is extremely bad if I try to wear earrings. Someone please help!!

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**Author:** ![hardygrrl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a3d4f5/32.png) [@hardygrrl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hardygrrl)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewlery-turning-skin-green/53178/2 "2001-02-05T06:36:22Z")

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I have the same problem and was told it’s a body chemistry issue.  
To prevent it just put a coat of clear nail polish on the piece and allow it to dry b4 wearing.

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**Author:** ![mighty\_maxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/2acd7d/32.png) [@mighty\_maxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mighty_maxx)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewlery-turning-skin-green/53178/3 "2001-02-05T06:48:13Z")

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All that means is that you have high metabolic acids in your skin. Everyone has them, you just have a little more than the norm. A lot of people can turn cheap jewlry green. The metabolic acids that are in your skin turn copper and steel into green, my guess it sort of rusts green right on your finger. Cheap jewlry is made form copper, steel, or mixture. Tape a new penny to your arm for a couple days, it’ll do the same thing.

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**Author:** ![Zenster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/cdc98d/32.png) [@Zenster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zenster)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 8:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewlery-turning-skin-green/53178/4 "2001-02-05T08:17:51Z")

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[Mister Rogers]

Can you say patina?

Very good, I knew you could!

[/Mister Rogers]

[sup]See: Verdigris, Oxides and various metallic by-products.[/sup]

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**Author:** ![Pergau](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/7c8e57/32.png) [@Pergau](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pergau)\
**Post date:** [February 5, 2001, 1:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jewlery-turning-skin-green/53178/5 "2001-02-05T13:32:07Z")

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Solid Gold has that effect on sensitive skin. At least that’s what I tell Mrs Pergau