Why does gold discolor fingers?

You may think when a ring “turns” or discolors your skin or clothing that it is due to “bad” gold or a manufactures defect; however, this is not the case. The most common reason is metallic abrasion caused by cosmetics on skin and clothing. Cosmetics (ie hand lotion or facial cover-up) often contain compounds harder than the jewelry itself which wears or rubs off very tiny particles. Very finely divided metal always appears black rather than metallic. When this dust comes into contact with absorbent surfaces such as skin or clothing it sticks, forming a black smudge. Therefore, all jewelry should be removed prior to applying cosmetics and jewelry should be professionally cleaned on a frequent basis (every 3-6months.)

*Even hand washing can cause an accumulation of water and soap under your rings, sometimes leading to eczema, we recommend removing rings and thoroughly drying hands before putting them back on, whenever possible.