Post updated: Jul 11, 2020
Everyone knows that gold is a noble metal. Most often, jewelry made from precious metals and their alloys do not leave marks on the skin. This property is more typical for inexpensive jewelry. Why does gold sometimes leave black spots and marks on the skin?
Historical facts about gold
Archaeologists and historians have come to the conclusion that this precious metal appeared a very long time ago - approximately in the 5th millennium BC. It was since then that it began to enjoy popularity, and also became a kind of measure of value.
Today, this precious metal is no less in demand - a large number of jewelry made from precious metal are sold on the market, which the fair sex is happy to buy.
Not only girls and women buy jewelry - men also love to decorate themselves with exquisite jewelry made from expensive metals, which require careful treatment and careful care.
Since ancient times, yellow metal jewelry has been preferred by both men and women.
By carefully caring for jewelry, you can maintain its presentable appearance for a long time, but an expensive ring or chain does not always correspond to these qualities. It happens that jewelry and gold leaves a black tint or mark on the skin. What does this depend on and why does this happen?
Causes of skin darkening from gold jewelry
Often, darkening of the skin from gold jewelry is equated to mysterious phenomena, such as the owner having some serious illness or someone placing a curse on the owner of the ring. I'm glad that this is not the case.
There are many reasons why black marks from gold and gold jewelry appear on the skin, and each of them is worth considering separately.
Today, most manufacturers of certain goods are trying to save money on the manufacture of their products. This phenomenon has not spared the jewelry industry either. You should not trust inscriptions like: “the jewelry consists of 60% gold.” Very often, for the production of precious jewelry, various alloys are used, which contain other metals, which cause the skin to turn black from gold.
Another significant cause of skin darkening from gold jewelry is the use of cosmetics. All kinds of hand moisturizers, which are used by representatives of the fair half of humanity, very often contain various impurities that come into contact with gold.
Thus, mercury contained in cosmetics interacts with the yellow metal, thereby causing irritation and blackening of the skin.
Some believe that the skin turns black from gold due to some disease. Thus, impaired functioning of the kidneys or liver can cause such a reaction, but in medical practice there are many cases where the gold jewelry of a truly sick person did not manifest itself in any way.
Jewelry made of yellow metal in contact with cosmetics may leave a dark mark when in contact with gold.
Specialists with medical education tend to believe that a person’s health status can affect the so-called “behavior” of jewelry. Thus, a person who is often exposed to stressful situations is prone to excessive sweating, which can provoke contact with gold and lead to an obvious reaction.
What to do if the reason is not clear
It happens that it is not possible or desirable to establish the authenticity of a ring, but you don’t want to part with it. Or, on the contrary, you verified the purity of the sample, checked your health, made sure there were no allergies, but the skin on your finger still turns black. In this case, you will have to put a little more effort into caring for the ring:
- Do not wear it all the time, take it off at night and every time before washing your hands.
- Do not use cosmetics for at least an hour before putting on your ring or bracelet.
- Wipe the product in contact with the skin both before putting it on and when taking it off.
By following these simple rules, you will reduce the likelihood of a blackening oxide film. In any case, the reason for the blackening is not in gold, but in its alloys, and you still don’t want to wear jewelry made of pure gold.
Why are other metals added to gold jewelry?
This question worries many, but only a few know the answer. Perhaps this is precisely the reason why the skin turns black from gold jewelry. Unfortunately or fortunately, it is quite difficult (almost impossible) to find jewelry made from pure gold on sale. The reason is simple and obvious - gold is a very soft metal, which means that it is quite difficult to wear jewelry made from it. It is precisely so that the jewelry can be worn freely and admire its appearance, various metals are added to the alloys, which make the product suitable for use.
Alloys of different metals not only give different shades of gold but also often cause dark marks on the skin.
Also, adding various metals to the composition of gold allows you to achieve the desired color, and this is an important factor for manufacturers. So, if you add silver to gold, the product will receive a slightly greenish tint, and the copper included in the composition will get a pinkish tint. By creating gold-based alloys, jewelry makers can reduce the final weight of a piece of jewelry, since gold itself is very heavy.
Possible consequences and ways to eliminate them
does the skin turn black under gold and gold jewelry ? The answer to this question may lie in the following reason - very often polishing paste is used to process jewelry. If during further processing the jewelry is not washed well, then this paste can leave a mysterious dark mark on the skin for quite a long time. There is no need to worry - after a while there should be no traces left.
The nickel in the alloy gives the white color to gold and often causes an allergic reaction.
Another reason why the skin turns black from gold may be the presence of allergic reactions in a person.
Thus, a negative reaction to nickel alloy, which is used to make jewelry, can serve as a source of dark spots on the skin.
Do not forget about cosmetics intended for the care of hands and nails - they enhance the effects of electrolysis. Jewelry made from an alloy of gold and copper can leave not only black, but also green marks on the skin.
Folk signs
- A negative impact, such as an evil eye or a curse directed at a person, is felt by the metal. Signal - blackening under the ring;
- Anxiety and despondency emanating from the personality also create dark streaks on the finger;
- Believers think that blackness appears after crimes or sins. The sign that appears seems to appeal to the conscience of the one who has stumbled, recalling the atrocities;
- The couple's wedding ring has turned black - unhappiness in marriage, sometimes even to the point of separation. To find out about the possible intervention of evil forces, they touch the face with a ring; a black stripe on the cheek means the machinations of a sorcerer. It is suggested to carry out a cleansing ritual to maintain a strong relationship.
Devout people advise going to church, saying prayers, or being sprinkled with holy water. But in modern times such superstitions are nothing more than fiction.
In esotericism, dark spots under the rings mean solar imbalance. To normalize balance and reduce the energy of the sun, you need to temporarily change your gold ring to a silver one. Silver is considered a lunar metal. You should stay less in the direct rays of the sun and away from fire.
There is a well-known myth that a thing retains an energetic connection with a person after being removed. In case of serious illnesses or serious dangers, the jewelry takes away part of the negative, turns black and “sick” along with the owner. In ancient times, travelers left a chain or ring for their relatives so that they would know the condition of the travelers.
Additional reasons why skin may turn black
The low quality of jewelry, its low cost, as well as technological violations and the use of outdated equipment - all this affects the characteristics of jewelry made from gold and its alloys.
Very often this is precisely the reason why the skin turns black from gold.
When purchasing jewelry, you should ask the seller for a quality certificate and pay attention to the composition of the metal and the amount of gold and other impurities it contains. Also, the presence of allergic reactions and increased sweating can negatively affect the quality of jewelry and its use. It is quite possible that darkening of the skin is a serious sign to pay attention to the state of your health and make a timely visit to the doctor.
Nitrogen compounds from sweat cause darkening of the jewelry on the skin.
It is believed that meat lovers may also experience this reaction to gold jewelry. Nitrogen compounds and sweat can cause the skin to turn black from gold.
There are situations when the skin turns black from jewelry made from yellow precious metal, not at all due to diseases or poor quality of the jewelry. People living in large cities, as well as near busy highways, may also notice the appearance of dark marks on the skin that form directly under the jewelry. Exhaust gases, smoke emanating from industrial enterprises, as well as smog and various harmful impurities can have an aggressive effect on precious metals. So, these factors can provoke the oxidation of copper, which is often included in jewelry, which is the reason why the skin darkens from gold jewelry.
Consequences of diseases
When the previous options disappear, the cause should be sought in the presence of some disease. But the traces indicate not the disease itself, but its possible appearance. The reasons may be of the following nature:
- Taking various medications . One of the most common reasons for the appearance of stripes is interruptions in the functioning of the liver or kidneys. Dark spots appear after taking medications that can change the patient's hormonal levels. For this reason, pregnant women begin to see dark streaks from gold, although there were no problems with jewelry before. Normalizing hormone levels eliminates black stripes.
- Intense sweating can also lead to this phenomenon . The reason is due to medications and surgical intervention in the patient’s body. Because of them, numerous stripes may remain. If your body temperature is high or if you are in a stressful situation, it can be difficult to avoid stains. Therefore, it is enough to remove the ring and wash your hands with cold water.
- Diseases due to harmful environmental influences . Experts note that those who spend a lot of time near highways and industrial enterprises have health problems. Surgery and recovery with medications that affect the human body are required.
It is also important to note that dust particles, which are brought from various enterprises and objects, gradually settle in areas under the ring. When interacting with gold jewelry, gold oxidizes. This is when the black stripes appear. In this case, you should refrain from wearing jewelry for a while and choose a favorable moment to wear it again.
How to avoid darkening of the skin?
In order to get rid of the consequences, you should be guided by the reasons for this reaction of the precious metal. First of all, it is necessary to purchase high-quality jewelry in jewelry stores, and also require a certificate of quality conformity from the seller and monitor the gold content in jewelry. Jewelry made from precious metal requires careful and careful care.
In order for a ring or chain to please its owner for a long time, you should follow a few simple rules that will help maintain the presentable appearance of the product:
- You should not do household chores (cleaning, washing dishes, etc.) with precious jewelry on your hands and fingers; Do not use sharp tools to clean jewelry;
- From time to time, jewelry made from precious metals should be wiped with a soft cloth (preferably felt);
- Jewelry with stone inserts are most often subject to contamination in the places where they are inlaid;
- Before going to bed, it is necessary to remove all jewelry, since prolonged contact of precious metal and skin can cause unpleasant consequences.
Simple rules will help you purchase high-quality gold jewelry and enjoy their beautiful appearance for a long time.
Knowing the reasons why the skin turns black from gold, you can avoid this, and also subsequently purchase only those jewelry that will not cause such consequences.
Gold leaves black marks for many reasons, by identifying which you can easily get rid of the source of this problem and not experience discomfort from wearing jewelry. High-quality jewelry, when properly cared for, will never cause black spots to appear.
Allergy to components
Gold does not react with other metals, but can cause allergies. In order to understand the mechanism of allergies, it is important to know the technology of making gold jewelry and the characteristics of the human body.
It was said earlier that gold in its pure form is not used in jewelry. That’s why various kinds of impurities are added there. They improve properties, but can be a strong allergen. The result can be redness, itching, and the appearance of black spots, even in those who have never been prone to this kind of reaction. Therefore, before purchasing, you should carefully read the certificates of conformity, which will indicate the full composition of the components included in the product.
