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.
Evil eye or damage?
The reliability of this data can be compared with the belief of ancient people that thunder is the wrath of the gods.
People no longer believe that the earth is round; they understand that natural disasters do not arise because the inhabitants angered Zeus. Superstitions should have been discarded long ago: there are explanations for everything.
They also contradict the Orthodox faith: the believer has no doubt, and all superstitions come from dark forces.
In our age, you can throw away all prejudices and not worry when you see a dark mark from the ring. Try taking the piece to a jewelry store so that a craftsman can assess the authenticity of the piece.
If it has many impurities and a lower sample, try returning the product. Exchange the product, or try not to get it wet.
Clean using ammonia - this method will help if the darkening is caused by the applied composition.
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.
Allergy
Gold is an inert chemical element, that is, it does not react to virtually any other substances. For example, it can only be dissolved in so-called aqua regia - a mixture of three concentrated acids.
However, if the gold ring leaves a mark, then you may have an allergy. There is never an autoimmune reaction to the precious metal itself, but impurities usually cause the problem. Typically this is:
- nickel;
- copper.
The fact that you have an allergy will be indicated by:
- redness;
- itching of the finger on which the ring was worn.
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.
What do the signs say?
Popular superstitions say that if the skin under the gold darkens, a spell or evil eye has been cast on the person.
Since gold is a noble metal, it senses changes in the human body and gives such a reaction.
Interesting fact! If a person’s cheeks are burning, someone is gossiping about him. To find out what kind of gossip this is, you need to run a gold piece across your cheek. If a dark line remains, they speak badly of you. A light stripe indicates that you are remembered with warmth, in a friendly conversation. Believe it or not - it's up to you.
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.
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.
Chemical reactions
Many people use cosmetics. Various products may contain materials that come into contact with gold and lead to oxidation. One of these elements is mercury and similar substances.
In cosmetics it is quite harmless, but upon contact with gold a negative reaction occurs. The decoration begins to turn black and leave characteristic marks. It is quite possible to deal with the marks, but the product will be hopelessly damaged. This is one of the answers to the question why a gold ring leaves a black mark on the finger.
Therefore, it is recommended to remove all existing jewelry from your hands before using cosmetics.
