Gold is a noble precious metal. He is the cause of wars and battles; people fought 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 causes this reaction, whether you should worry about your health and how to correct the situation are the most common questions among jewelry owners.
It is worth understanding the causes of this problem, it is very common today.
Characteristics of gold
Gold is a yellow metal. It is extracted from rocks by washing. The density makes it easy to wash.
Real pure gold is yellow in color and can 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.
TOP 6 methods for cleaning blackened gold at home
There are several proven recipes that can be used to clean alloyed jewelry:
- Ammonia + washing powder. You need to mix 4 drops of ammonia (about one spoon) with water (one glass), then with laundry detergent. Dip the product into the mixture and rub it with a soft cloth. This method is perfect for cleaning low-quality jewelry.
- Soap solution is one of the simplest methods. Mix liquid or bar soap with water, dip a toothbrush in it and rub the product with it. You need to rub gently until the jewelry is clean.
- Ammonia + baby shampoo. Take one spoon of baby shampoo, 100 ml of water, 30 ml of ammonia. Mix the ingredients. Place the decoration in the resulting product for 1.5-2 hours.
- Ammonia + sugar + water. Mix 200 ml of boiling water with 50 grams of sugar. Place the product in the resulting product for two days, then wipe it with ammonia and warm water.
- Hydrogen peroxide + soda. Mix the ingredients: 100 ml of water, 35 ml of hydrogen peroxide, 20 grams of soda. Place the decoration in the resulting mixture for 2-3 hours.
- Sugar/salt + water. Fill a glass container with 150 ml of hot water, add 50 grams of salt or sugar. Immerse the gold item in the resulting mixture. After 10 hours, the jewelry should be rinsed in clean water, traces of sugar/salt removed, and wiped with a soft cloth or paper towel.
- Ammonia + magnesia + glycerin. Take the same amount of ingredients and mix them in a prepared container. Rub the resulting product onto the jewelry, then rinse it with water and dry it.
- Beer + egg white. You will need the white of one chicken egg and 2 teaspoons of light beer. Combine the ingredients by mixing them thoroughly in a separate container. Rub the gold jewelry with the resulting product, then rinse off the remaining cleansing mixture.
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. Most often - gold jewelry.
The influence of gold on humans:
| № | Point of view | Influence |
| 1 | Psychological | The noble metal tones the nervous system. Gives confidence in actions and intentions. When wearing gold jewelry, a person may act a little arrogant. He feels on a subconscious level that he has something that many others cannot afford. For women, such jewelry gives confidence in their beauty. They become more relaxed |
| 2 | Spiritual | In ancient times, gold was considered a source of solar power and energy; it was given to warriors to give them strength in the fight. It was believed that if a warrior took a gold item from home, he would definitely return it. The yellow metal was endowed with special properties: it was believed that it drives away evil spirits, gives women beauty and fertility, and promotes a strong union. This is where the tradition of putting gold rings on each other's fingers on their wedding day came from. |
| 3 | Physiological | Metal tones the work of the heart and blood vessels. It is not recommended to constantly wear such things for people suffering from hypertension. Has a beneficial effect on brain activity: improves memory and brain function. According to unconfirmed reports, metal helps cope with head diseases |
Don't skimp when purchasing jewelry!
Probably the first thought of everyone who encountered such a situation was the thought of deception. Indeed, cases of fraud have become more frequent recently. Nowadays, an expensive item bought from a tray often turns out to be an ordinary piece of copper. In the arsenal of modern jewelry manufacturers there are such techniques and materials that even a sophisticated buyer cannot distinguish gold from its fake at first glance.
“Samovar” gold, high-quality counterfeits of which have filled market stalls and spontaneous gold markets, can be found not only among sellers on trains or electric trains, but also simply in a stall selling various jewelry. In this case, it is not surprising that the jewelry leaves black marks on the skin.
Even more common is gold, the quality of which is lower than that stated in the sample. This type of jewelry contains a large number of additional metals and impurities, which oxidize when they come into contact with the skin. As a result, the skin darkens. It is usually quite difficult to prove fraud later: there are no checks, certificates, and often upon returning to the place of the transaction you will not find even the most dishonest businessman.
To protect yourself from such a waste of money and nerves, it is better to purchase precious items in stores that have the appropriate documents indicating the quality of the goods and confirming the transaction. In this case, having checks and receipts in hand, it will be easier to prove that you are right in the event of a poor-quality purchase.
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?
- More often - about the low quality of the product. Gold does not oxidize if your jewelry causes a reaction - it contains many impurities. The product may be fake or of low standard.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- The cause of the problem may be frequent consumption of meat. It adds substances to the blood that cause this effect.
Existing myths
Many people believe that a black mark is a sign that a person has heart problems, and a green mark is a sign of problems with the liver and kidneys. There are also those who think the opposite. But this does not change the essence: “a trace of gold means health problems.”
But doctors don’t confirm these myths. Studies have not found a connection between diseases of internal organs and the reaction of gold to this. Therefore, do not rush to run to the doctor, but first check everything carefully.
And the different colors of the marks can be explained by the presence of different metals in the product. Nickel is black, copper is green.
Another myth is related to damage. Whether this is true or not is up to you to decide, to the extent that you believe in it. Just don’t be fooled by someone who, having discovered a trace on you, will promise to lift the curse from you for a completely symbolic amount. Such charlatans profit from your ignorance of the nature of metals.
Knowing why the skin turns black from gold, you will be prepared for such a situation and correct it without panic. The main thing to remember is that even high-quality gold jewelry can leave traces, so don’t rush to blame sellers or manufacturers for everything.
If you want your jewelry to last you a long time, then wear it only at the right time.
You don't need jewelry while exercising, taking a bath, or even sleeping, so take it off. This way there will be no risk of a reaction and there will be no plaque.
Don't forget to polish your jewelry at least once a year - this will restore its shine and presentation.
If you do this less often, you will need a rougher polishing, which will lead to thinning of the product.
Choose jewelry wisely and care for it carefully, then it will become your pride and will be able to please your grandchildren.
Conjectures from the past
Everyone is interested in something in their life. So, for a long time I was looking for an answer to the question of why gold makes the skin darken. I remember that in childhood, when someone’s face was very red, they advised him to run a gold ring or earring across his burning cheek.
If after such an “operation” a black stripe remained from a piece of jewelry, then it was generally believed that at that particular time someone was slandering the person or simply washing the bones, and gold, as a miraculous metal, could “feel” this and show us. That is, it was impossible to say here that the skin darkens from gold. Rather, she becomes darkened by other people's gossip.
Real reasons
A little later, I began to notice that some people had dark or even black stripes on their fingers left by rings, on their earlobes - stripes left by earrings, and on their wrists - marks from gold bracelets. I began to think that it was most likely not a matter of mysticism, but of more ordinary things. Having read the relevant literature and asked knowledgeable people, I can answer for myself why the skin turns black from gold. There may actually be several reasons.
Precious metal impurities
Gold, by its nature, is a fairly soft and heavy metal; when making jewelry from it, jewelers use some additives or impurities to give it a certain shade, reduce the cost of the product, or reduce its weight. Thus, nickel and copper are mainly used as an admixture to gold. The presence of these additives in jewelry should be called the main reason when answering the question of why gold turns skin black. It is these metals that give color. If the jewelry contains copper, then a green trace will remain, and if it is nickel, it will be almost black.
Cosmetics
The use of various types of cosmetics on the skin that touches gold jewelry can also contribute to the appearance of marks at the points of contact. So, it can be face cream, hand cream (mercury compounds are often added to them, and mercury can also leave traces when interacting with jewelry), foundation, hairspray, or eau de toilette or deodorant that is too saturated with chemical compounds.
Sweat gland secretions
When the body excretes a large amount of sweat, which comes into contact with the skin and gold jewelry for a long time, dark marks may also appear. Therefore, if you are wondering why the skin turns black from gold, you should pay attention to your health and psychological state. When the body is in a painful state (colds or ailments of certain internal organs), constant lack of sleep and stress, more sweat is produced. In addition, the composition of sweat varies depending on many factors. And if a person eats a large amount of meat, then more nitrogen is released through sweat, which can also lead to the appearance of peculiar marks on the skin.
Polishing
Before putting jewelry on sale, manufacturers coat it with a special polishing compound, which wears off over time, but when worn for the first time, a ring or chain can leave dark marks on the skin.
conclusions
We hope that this article helped you, and you now know why gold turns your skin black. Buy quality jewelry, stay healthy, sleep well and stay calm!
Why gold has attracted people so much for more than 20 centuries is unclear. There are few people who are indifferent to this metal. Thanks to gold, continents were developed; people tried to survive in difficult conditions in order to be able to touch particles of gold dust. Suffice it to recall the exploration of the Klondike, the gold rush in Africa - prospectors gave their lives for gold.
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.
The second reason
A beautiful and precious metal darkens for other reasons. The human body contains waste products that are released through the skin. They are formed in the human body as a result of natural life processes. The environment contains a large number of different bulk substances.
This is what causes the precious metal to oxidize and form a film on it. The composition of such a film can vary, but most often it consists of sulfides, fat and dust particles.
All this leads to the fact that the jewelry becomes covered with a dark coating, but such a coating can be cleaned without any difficulty. To do this, you need to prepare a simple solution of ammonia and liquid soap.
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.
How to cleanse the skin on your fingers, ears and neck
Clearing dark spots from your skin is not easy. Water doesn't do the job well. Soap also does not give quick results.
A simple and effective way is alcohol:
- Apply alcohol, tincture or spray with eau de toilette onto a cotton pad, which you don’t mind wasting.
- Rub the darkened area.
- Rinse with soap and water to remove any remaining dirt.
Ammonia is used to clean the jewelry itself; dark marks may remain on the product.
The same methods are used for cleansing: ammonia is applied to a cotton pad and the jewelry is wiped with it. There is no need to rinse off. The alcohol will evaporate, leaving the product clean and disinfected.
