How StuffWorks can fake gold turn your skin green?
Since you can't afford jewelry store prices, you go through a friend who has a guy and buy a ring for your special lady.You meet "the guy" in his small apartment, where he shows you a nice collection of jewelry.You feel pretty sure that the story about his uncle's jewelry store and the accidental overstock is true because the gold rings are stamped 24 karat.You will have a nice gold band engraved with some sweet nothings, or something, in the end.Your girlfriend loves the ring and all is well until the next day, when she wakes up with a green ring finger.You were sold fake gold jewelry by the guy your friend knew.
It's a good idea to watch your finger turn green after wearing a gold ring.When a customer shops for gold, he or she is informed of its purity by the number of karats, which is what the 14k or 18k stamp on the inside of your ring means.Gold is too soft to hold its shape, so it's mixed with other metals to create a stronger metal.The metals used to make the alloy could be copper, tin, nickel and palladium.It is the least durable kind of gold and has the highest rating.
Most fake gold rings are made of mostly copper.When you perspire, the metals in the ring react with the acid in your sweat to form salts, which are green.The acids cause the copper to oxidize on the surface of the metal and form a salt compound.The salts are absorbed into the skin and produce a green digit.It's not a metal allergy and you don't need to be worried about it.It means that the gold ring you thought was real is just a cheap imitation.Not a dull green color can be caused by metal allergies.It is possible for fake gold to rust over time.