Why does the neck turn black from gold? Why does the skin under a gold ring turn black? Why are other metals added to gold jewelry?

It's no secret that gold has long been considered a sign of a person's wealth and success. Therefore, products must be suitable in style and also correspond to the status of the person. I would like to choose the most beautiful gold jewelry, ring, chain, earrings that would last a long time. But after wearing jewelry for a long time, many people wonder why the finger under the gold ring turns black? Moreover, this problem most often concerns rings, since the products are in close contact with the skin and many practically do not remove the product from their hands.

The finger turned black under the gold ring

List of causes of skin blackening

But it is unclear to many how to explain this reaction. Since gold is a noble metal, it should not interact with other substances in any way. But the skin can not only turn black, but also acquire a green tint. Why does a gold ring turn black on a finger at different times? There may be several reasons for this phenomenon:

• Poor quality decoration. The thing is that there are a lot of scammers in the jewelry industry. They sell low-quality products that are not only lower than the declared quality, but may also contain dangerous impurities. Such products are called samovars and are sold by private individuals on trays or in other places where there are no product certificates. All this leads to the fact that a person overpays for a cheap product, which contains many alloys that oxidize with the skin and leave marks. As a result, traces of blackening disappear if you stop wearing the product. To prevent this from happening, buy jewelry only in stores with a proven history or from large jewelry factories. Products must have a hallmark indicating the amount of pure gold in the product.
• Repairing jewelry or buying new rings. It so happens that after any type of repair, the jeweler forgot to wipe the inside of the product, and those chemicals that were on the inside were imprinted on the hand and the skin under the ring changed color. Of course, such marks are short-lived and there is no need to worry about this. To quickly wash away any remaining substances from the ring, dip the jewelry in warm water and wash with soap. Jewelry paste will also be washed off your hands after 2-3 days. This rarely happens with new products because consultants carefully wipe down the product before putting it up for sale.
• Stressful situations also explain the phenomenon of why the skin turns black. They promote the production of sweat, which affects the gold product. Gold itself does not react in any way to human sweat or other chemicals, but impurities that are found in the alloy of products are sensitive to this. And since it is the feet and palms that produce a fairly large amount of sweat, this effect is not surprising. Also, a large production of biological fluids may indicate problems with cardiovascular system, causing tachycardia or disturbances nervous system. Try to avoid stressful situations or wear rings not every day. The blackening process can be accelerated by eating large amounts of meat, which saturates sweat with nitrogen compounds that react with the ligature. The composition of sweat may also change due to hormonal imbalances. Problems with the kidneys or thyroid gland can contribute to changes. Therefore, if you see that a blackening reaction has occurred and it is clearly not related to the quality of the product, contact a specialist. This applies to cases of spontaneous opacification.
• Oxidation processes and, accordingly, blackening of the skin can occur due to the action of chemicals. This is especially true for household chemicals. The ligature in the alloy may be sensitive to powders, cleaning and detergents. In this case, the finger turns black from the gold ring, which reacted with household chemicals. Therefore, it is recommended to refrain from wearing rings during cleaning. If you don't want to remove your jewelry, protect yourself with gloves.
• Hand creams or other hygiene products, as well as some medications, can cause a reaction in the form of darkening of the skin. Of course, creams also react to decoration only if they are mixed with sweat and come into contact with the ligature in the alloy. Among medications, a reaction can be caused by mercury ointment or substances that contain mercury. In this case, the finger and even the gold itself darken, since this is the only metal with which it reacts.
• Allergic reaction. This is a rare occurrence because gold allergies are uncommon and present differently than pigmentation. But allergy to ligature is common by-effect from wearing a ring. Nickel often gives this reaction. Therefore, if you know that you have an allergy to metals, ask about the composition of the alloy from which your jewelry is made. If it contains metals such as zinc, cobalt, nickel, then it is better to refuse to purchase the product so as not to develop an allergic reaction. Even if this happens, consult a dermatologist for advice. Most likely, you will be prescribed antihistamines and ointments with an antiallergic effect.
• From a non-scientific point of view, it is believed that gold is a metal that has the ability to attract the evil eye and envious glances. There is a sign that if you have been jinxed or wished evil, gold will take away the negative, and a blackening mark may appear on your skin. The trace also appears if you accumulate negative emotions within yourself. In this case, you need to go to church to cleanse your soul. Since the hypothesis is untested, it is better to stick to traditional reasons.

Gold is a noble and neutral metal. For it to react with the skin, you need to mix a lot of components. You should not give up gold rings completely if your skin has turned black, for example due to chemicals or skin care products. The blackening usually goes away within a week and leaves no traces. If you adhere to good hygiene and protect the product, the skin under the gold ring will not darken.

Most often, a ligature is responsible for such reactions. Therefore, blackening can be avoided if you buy high-quality jewelry from a quality manufacturer.

From time immemorial, gold jewelry has attracted not only women, but also many men. They are a symbol of beauty and elegance, and all wealthy people try to pamper themselves with a brand new gold piece from time to time. But what often happens is that gold leaves black marks on the skin.

This is popularly explained by many reasons:

• Skin oxidation;
• The presence of other additives and alloys in gold jewelry;
• Problems with the internal state of the human body.

The most interesting and controversial assumption about the appearance of black stripes from gold jewelry is the popular opinion about the damage caused, which, of course, has not been confirmed in any way. It’s just the unknown that makes you invent unrealistic things. So, why did our favorite gold jewelry suddenly become such a nuisance? Why does gold turn skin black? Let's figure it out.

Perhaps the main advice that can be given when buying gold jewelry is that you should never skimp on them. Very often, scammers pass off ordinary copper products as gold. Moreover, they are processed so skillfully that they cannot be distinguished from the original. Such “jewels” will leave streaks on the skin, and this is quite natural.

In addition, the quality of gold may well be much lower than that indicated in the sample. Back then, gold contained many impurities that could oxidize upon contact with skin.

Pay attention to this, since it is almost impossible to prove that you are right after purchasing such a product.

Helpful advice! Buy gold jewelry and rings only in special jewelry stores that have all the necessary licenses, so that you don’t have to wonder why your skin turns black from gold. When purchasing, draw up a contract, keep a copy of the documents with you, so that if the metal is of poor quality, you can get your money back.

But don't rush to blame manufacturers for poor quality product. It often happens that when smelting gold products, the so-called polishing paste is used. If this substance is not washed off, it quite naturally stains the skin; this is a temporary phenomenon. Wait a few days until the paste is completely washed off and the gold stops smearing the skin.

Your favorite cream

Modern cosmetic creams often contain mercury. This substance reacts with gold and leaves black marks. In this case, it is better not to use the cream on those parts of the body that are intended for gold jewelry. For example, hand cream may react chemically with the ring.

Health status

Many medical professionals adhere to the theory that a person's sweat changes structure when problems arise. internal organs. The interaction of sweat with gold jewelry then provokes the formation of black marks on the skin. Excessive sweating can be caused by constant nervous tension and brain overload. Then gold jewelry (rings, chains) can also begin to cause harm and leave dark marks on the body. Stabilize psychological condition, and you will make friends with gold again.

Therefore, if the gold product is of high quality and you do not use cream, we strongly recommend that you undergo an examination by a doctor to avoid further health problems.

Many scientists hypothesize that people who eat a lot of meat are not friendly with noble metals. This is just an assumption for now, but no one knows whether it is justified or not.

Poor environmental condition

Statistics show that people living in large cities and near roadways are more likely to notice dark marks on their bodies from wearing gold jewelry. This is a direct dependence on the polluted environment.

Exhaust gases, emissions from factories, and smog can also react aggressively with gold metals and cause black streaks. Every gold item contains a certain amount of copper. It is she who reacts to poor ecology and oxidizes, provoking such an unpleasant result as a black mark from a ring or chain.

Allergic reactions

Allergy to metals such as gold and silver, in modern world is a very rare occurrence. However, this is quite true possible reason the appearance of black marks has a place to exist.

Most often, allergies do not manifest themselves to gold itself, but to other metals included in the alloy, such as copper or nickel. These metals not only cause darkening of the skin in allergy sufferers, but can also turn the skin green.

There is only one piece of advice for people suffering from allergies: replace gold with silver or buy only items of the highest standard.

Household chemicals

Household chemicals are often aggressive to environment. They are often responsible for the appearance of black marks after removing your favorite products. Due to the harmful effects of household chemicals on the skin, doctors strongly recommend cleaning your apartment only with rubber gloves. Many people neglect this rule and end up with not only dry skin, but also dark marks from gold jewelry.

Did you pick up your gold jewelry from repair?

Often, after gold jewelry is repaired, your favorite piece of jewelry leaves a mark on your body. This is not scary, since it is associated with the same polishing paste. You just can’t do without it during repairs, so when the paste is completely washed off, the decoration will again please your eye, without leaving any traces.

Eliminate the problem of blackening of the skin? Easily!

To ensure that gold or silver products serve you for a long time without leaving any marks, use our recommendations:

• Buy only high-quality jewelry in specialized jewelry stores, where you will draw up an agreement and receive documents for the product;
• Store gold and silver only in special boxes, do not leave it anywhere;
• Don't clean your apartment or wash dishes in your jewelry;
• Do not attempt to clean gold jewelry with sharp objects;
• Take care of your gold: periodically wipe it thoroughly with a soft rag. Felt works great;
• If your jewelry has inserts with stones, then know that these places are very susceptible to contamination;
• Before going to bed or going to the beach, take off your jewelry. Products made of gold or silver can provoke allergic reactions if contact with skin is too long;
• Clean gold and silver only in special jewelry workshops that you are confident in.

If you follow all these recommendations, and gold jewelry still causes you discomfort and provokes the appearance of black stripes on your body, then the reason lies elsewhere. Study all the reasons that are listed in the article and you will understand why gold and silver jewelry is not friendly to your skin.

Knowing the cause, you can easily eliminate it in order to avoid the appearance of dark stripes from gold jewelry in the future.

Thus, it is not damage or the evil eye that provokes black stripes on a person’s body from gold or silver. All reasons lie in natural chemical reactions between our body and gold or environmental situation and gold. Remember that without objective reasons, high-quality gold of high purity will not provoke allergic reactions and the appearance of black marks.

Gold is a noble precious metal. He is the cause of wars and battles; people fought to the death and killed for him. Gold can make a person rich, beautiful and elegant.

Some consider it a despicable metal, others consider it the purest and most natural material for making jewelry.

Many people prefer to wear gold jewelry. It is customary that wedding rings are bought exclusively from this metal.

Other jewelry also gives the owner elegance and speaks of his status in society, material well-being and refined taste.

The only disadvantage of such jewelry is the darkening of the skin.

What is the reason for this reaction, should you worry about your health and how to correct the situation - the most FAQ jewelry owners.

It is worth understanding the causes of this problem, it is very common today.

Gold is a yellow metal. It is extracted from rocks by washing. The density makes it easy to wash.

Real pure gold has yellow, may have a green tint. If the jewelry has a reddish tint, copper has been added to its composition.

Today, jewelry made from this material has various impurities. It is practically never found in its pure form.

Jewelry stores sell products made from a mixture of precious metals: gold, silver, copper, palladium.

Impact on humans

Jewelry that a person wears close to his body every day has an impact on his body.

We are not talking about those jewelry that are worn several times a month, on holidays or weekends. These are things that are not removed from the fingers, ears or neck. More often - gold jewelry.

The influence of gold on humans:

Why does the skin turn black?

Darkening of the skin under a gold item does not mean that a person is sick. It is worth dispelling myths about this effect.

What does darkening of the skin under gold jewelry indicate?

1. More often - about the low quality of the product. Gold does not oxidize if your jewelry causes a reaction - there are many impurities in the composition. The product may be fake or of low quality.
2. Experiments have shown that in some cases, real gold jewelry can react with sweat released by people suffering from liver and kidney diseases.

   This happens in 50% of cases. Sweat contains substances that react with metal. Low statistics do not allow us to talk about the reliability of the data.

3. Constant stress causes sweating. People exposed to stress are more likely to notice dark marks from jewelry.

   Since almost any piece of jewelry contains impurities, frequent sweating causes a reaction that leaves dark marks on the skin.

4. Finished products are treated with polishing paste, which is difficult to wash off before sale.

   It instantly reacts with the slightest signs of sweat and causes darkening. The decoration just needs to be cleaned.

5. If the skin under the ring darkens and you do not remove it, pay attention to the cream. Modern creams may contain substances that react with gold.

   Clean your ring, finger, and try not using the cream for a while. This will help determine if the skin care product is causing the darkening.

6. The cause of the problem may be frequent consumption of meat. It adds substances to the blood that cause this effect.

What do the signs say?

Popular superstitions say that if the skin darkens under gold, the person has been cursed, or the evil eye.

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.

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.

Useful video

Of course, women love wearing gold more than men. Although both men and women wear gold jewelry and face the same problem - blackening of the skin under the gold jewelry.

The pure color of gold is light yellow, but products made from this precious metal have a lot of options. The color range of shades begins with colorless, pale yellow and ends with greenish and brown, reddish shades.

There is never a drop of ointment in a barrel of ointment. Even the most joyful event, such as buying gold jewelry, cannot pass without annoyance, namely: many people have blackened skin from gold jewelry in different parts of the body. This causes dark blue, black, and greenish-gray stripes to appear on your fingers or wrists, depending on where you wear your gold jewelry. Let's try to figure out why this happens, why the skin darkens under gold jewelry.

Studying the alloy composition of jewelry

The first thing that can influence the appearance of dark marks is the composition of metal alloys in gold or low-quality products made from precious material. It is the composition that often becomes the reason that can cause such a reaction in the body. In most cases, darkening of the skin from prolonged wearing of gold is hidden precisely in the composition of the alloy.

In our body, in the body of every person, there are individual characteristics. The skin's reaction to precious metals can manifest itself not only in dark stripes on the body, but also in allergies. This is due to the fact that there are no products made of pure gold, which means that such a reaction can be caused by impurities in the alloy. Chemical composition gold is not only gold itself, it is also the lion’s share of silver, palladium or copper, which are added to the alloy to color the product in one shade or another. It is these impurities that affect how your body reacts to gold jewelry.

It is unlikely that you will be able to avoid dark streaks, but remember that the higher the gold purity, the less likely they are to form on your body. Because high grades of gold contain fewer impurities, not only silver or copper, but also cheaper ones. This is done to reduce the cost of the jewelry, and therefore be careful when purchasing jewelry at a very low price.

Do not chase cheap products, pay attention to stores that provide quality certificates. Only in such places can you choose and purchase jewelry of a higher standard at an appropriate price. If the jewelry you chose in a seemingly reputable store does not meet this quality, you can always safely go to court and get your money back in court.

Sweat and illness

The second reason for the appearance of black marks from wearing gold can be stress and sweat. This is another reaction of the body that can cause unpleasant black marks to appear on the skin. Often a person, being in a stressful situation, being sick, worrying, secretes sweat. It reacts with impurities that are present in the gold product, and this leads to an unfortunate result.

People who suffer from excessive sweating, which can be hereditary, due to disorders in the body or due to excess weight, very often find darkening of the skin from gold jewelry.

The state of human health is an important factor. Someone has chronic diseases, not just the above about sweat. The body itself can very often change its structure and in this case form dark spots on the skin. Check your liver and heart, endocrine system.

If a person is allergic by nature, then gold products that contain nickel are automatically prohibited. Wearing such jewelry causes a negative reaction in people and the skin darkens. The same can be said about copper, which can cause dark, sometimes green, marks on the skin in a person prone to allergies.

In some cases, even the most ordinary hand cream can play the role of a reagent. Due to electrolysis, it can provoke a reaction between the skin and the metal. It is not uncommon for cosmetics to contain mercury. In this case, you need to be especially careful, because the reaction of mercury and gold jewelry can cause irritation on the skin and red spots.
Another reason for the appearance of dark streaks can be the polishing paste that is used to clean gold jewelry in jewelry workshops. After some time, when the paste is washed off, your jewelry will delight you, and not upset you with dark stripes on your skin. The problem will solve itself, don’t worry too much about it.

Another reason for the appearance of dark spots on the skin may be hidden in the frequent consumption of meat in large quantities. There are numerous observations that “meat eaters” can pay with dark stripes on the skin under gold jewelry. Scientists have not yet proven this theory, but they have not refuted it either. Therefore, it is impossible to say unequivocally whether this can or cannot happen.

Gold has always been considered a noble metal. Moreover, this metal is absolutely not afraid of corrosion, as well as oxidation by moisture present in the air. But in some cases, the gold jewelry that we wear on our body may turn black. It turns out that there are many reasons for this, and we will look at them below. So, as experts note, during the manufacture of a ring, chain or some other piece of jewelry made from this metal, the ligature inscription may be broken. In its pure form, the metal is used only when it is necessary to make a gold bar. Gold with a ligature is usually used for jewelry.

But the alloy may contain palladium, silver and even copper. They are added so that the jewelry is worn longer, that is, it is wear-resistant. But, when making jewelry, there are times when the ligature changes. Some manufacturers do this on purpose, thus reducing their production costs. It is because of low-quality gold that over time it will oxidize on the body, that is, it will turn black. Experts recommend purchasing products made from gold, as well as other precious metals, only in stores that specialize in this. For example, the Ukrzoloto store offers high-quality gold jewelry. The choice is wide: from beautiful gold earrings to bracelets (photo 1).

Gold can also darken due to the human body. Our body produces waste and releases it through the pores of the skin. There is dust and dirt in the environment. When they connect, a film appears on the gold and it begins to darken. Scientists have found that such a film consists of dust, grease, and sulfides. Note that such plaque can be cleaned with an easy cleaning solution, which contains liquid soap and ammonia (photo 2).


It happens that over time, due to prolonged wearing of a gold ring on a finger (for example, a wedding ring), it begins to turn black and becomes completely unattractive. This happens because the person is Everyday life often uses pharmacological or cosmetic products. And such products, of course, will contain iodine and mercury compounds. They will affect the gold: it will simply become covered with gray spots. Getting rid of them is problematic, since such stains mean that the metal has begun to deteriorate. Therefore, when washing dishes, cleaning the house, or doing laundry, it is best to remove them from your hands. jewelry so as not to be upset later that your favorite ring has deteriorated (photo 3).


It is widely believed that gold on the body turns black due to damage. In fact, such assumptions are completely groundless. Gold may turn black if the manufacturer coated it with polishing paste and did not clean it. This is when stains may appear on such a product. Gold can also oxidize in those people who consume huge amounts of meat. Such people secrete sweat containing large amounts of nitrogen. When it comes into contact with gold, it causes the latter to turn black (photo 4).


There is also an opinion among the population that gold on the body turns black only in those people who have certain problems with the kidneys and liver. Let us note that official medicine has not proven this fact and, most likely, it is only a myth. But the fact that gold often oxidizes in those people who sweat a lot is a proven fact. Therefore, such people are advised to first stabilize their psychological state and only then wear jewelry made of this metal. We recommend purchasing jewelry only from trusted manufacturers and in stores that specialize in gold sales. In other places, you may come across scammers who, under the guise of gold, will slip you a copper product (photo 5).