how do i prevent my ring from turning my finger green?

Answer 1

If the ring is something that was given to you and has sentimental value, you can try to spray it with hairspray or put clear nail polish on the inside of the ring. This will only last temporarily. Some people have this reaction to 14k gold too, so you may not be able to wear it for long periods.

Dr. Audrey Kumin, a dermatologist from Kansas City, has a few more options to try before you stop wearing your jewelry.

* Stay dry
* Keep your skin dry where your skin touches the metal. Placing your hands into a sink full of water allows the metal ions to be better absorbed into the skin.
* Moisturize
* Wear a good layer of protective moisturizing cream. The better the barrier between you and the metal, the less likely the reaction will be bothersome.
* Protect your skin
* Consider electroplating sentimental or really good pieces of jewelry. Take your ring, etc., back to the jeweler and see if a new layer of "good" metal can be applied to the contact surface. This prevents leaching of the nickel particles onto your skin, at least for a while.
* Wear it part-time
* Take your ring/jewelry off when you don't absolutely need to be wearing it. Diminished contact with the skin decreases the amount of allergen you are exposed to.

Answer 2

Its probably a reaction between your skin and the copper. Sterling silver is an alloy of silver 92.5% and copper 7.5%. When it is worked by a jeweler it will be heated if it is soldered. As a result it may become coated in red copper oxide. Usually this is removed in a solution of sodium bisulphite which produces a weak sulphuric acid solution. If you have a ring that has not been properly pickled prior to polishing it may still have copper on it that will react with your sweat to make a green copper compound that stains the skin.
I suggest soaking your rings in a mixture of household ammonia and water (50/50 )for a day or two. The ammonia solution will turn blue as it forms a copper ammonia ion and this will not hurt the silver. After that, your rings will not turn your skin green because the copper has been removed from the surface of the sterling.
You can also try coating it in a thin film of hairspray or coat it in some clear nail polish to keep the actual ring from contacting your skin.
Take it off before swimming especially in salt water and avoid letting lotion or other chemicals touch it.
If possible get your silver plated with rhodium and it will never tarnish or cause problems.

Answer 3

I wish all the 'cheap jewelry' commenters would just jump off a bridge. Just because the ring is copper doesn't mean it doesn't have value. One of my very favorite rings is copper. A kid took a file and made it look like a batman symbol right in front of me in Mexico 30 years ago and the ring means a lot to me. It turned my finger green as a shamrock, but it still was valuable. One of my current favorite rings is made out of a 1976 half dollar and it does the same thing. Painting the inside of the ring with something to prevent that is really the only solution to the green finger issue, but again, it doesn't make the ring cheap just because it turns your finger green. It just means it isn't gold or silver. Even some silver rings can turn your finger green if they aren't high enough silver content. The 1976 silver proof coins were only 40% silver and they will turn your finger green too if you make rings out of them.

I would say that it isn't because the ring is cheap, but rather because it is custom jewelry. Custom jewelry is likely to be made out of something more common like zinc, nickel, or copper. Expect it to stain your finger unless you coat the inside of it with something.

Answer 4

I would suggest buying better jewelry. Real gold gives my fingers a rash. I own sterling silver. If you like the ring and want to keep wearing it on a regular basis, put a coat or two of clear nail polish on the inside. Repeat this process whenever your finger begins to turn green. Polish seals the metal, and puts a barrier between your flesh and the ring. Your ring is probably made from copper, or lead which when it oxidizes, (caused by moisture) it turns your finger green.
*Note* Cheap metal jewelry has been found to cause health risks. (lead poisoning)
Copper also contains lead

Answer 5

You are allergic to the nickel in the metal and it causes a chemical reaction that in turn makes your finger green. Get some clear finger nail polish and paint the ring with it. It will cause enough of a barrier between you and the metal that you will no longer have the problem.

Answer 6

the sweat form your finger reacts with the metal on the ring and causes the green line.

1. opt for different kind of metal (for example if you are using silver, opt for gold, etc)

2. you may be allergic to the type of metal on the ring

3. you may have washed your hands with soap that does not react well the metal on your ring.

In any case after some time, the ring will not react any more and no more green lines appear.

Answer 7

Well when my finger turns green after wearing a fake ring,i but clear nail polish on the inside and then recoat it twice after that.

Answer 8

You can also put a coat of clear nail polish on the ring. People with allergies to certain metals do this. The only problem is if you are also allergic to the nail polish and you have to reapply the polish every few weeks.

Answer 9

This is usually caused by a chemical reaction between a chemical and the alloy in the metal. Make-up, hand creams, lotions, perfume, etc can all react with the alloy.

Be sure all of them are cleaned off your hands before putting your jewelry on.

Answer 10

I believe clear finger nail polish works. This happens to my sister, its not cheap jewelry it just something in her skin that makes it do it.