Can sterling silver jewelry turn your finger green?

Can Jewelry Turn My Finger Green?

Have you ever had a ring turn your finger green or black or wonder why some people say rings turn their fingers? In fact, as someone who has worn jewelry for decades (silver and gold), it even happens to me. Why does it happen? It's always a chemical reaction.

Exposure to a chemical, a hormonal change in my body, or even a change like having more acid in my diet can cause the reaction. This reaction is not limited to sterling silver jewelry but also to yellow gold. Some think that if their finger turns dark or slightly green that the product is not real silver or gold, but that's not the case. The ring turns your finger because of a chemical reaction which can most commonly be exposure to moisture on your skin. This moisture can be as simple as water, sweat or humidity.

Now that you know why it happens, you can easily avoid having a green finger by following some simple care steps.

Avoidance: The saying, "Prevention is the best medicine" applies to avoiding a green or dark ring around your finger. If you can remember to take off your ring when washing your hands, not wearing your jewelry while in the pool or while cleaning, etc, tarnish should not be an issue. If you wash your hands while you are wearing your jewelry, you'll want to remove it to dry the area beneath your ring and to also dry your ring so that there is not a possibility of moisture collecting.

Cleaning: If you do have tarnish or a green finger, no worries! Simple cleaning of your sterling silver ring will take care of the problem. Washing and drying your jewelry is the first method of cleaning. If that does not take care of the issue, we recommend using a jewelry polishing cloth on your pieces.