Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
Diamond & Jewelry News, Advice and Prices for Consumers
May 3, 2011
I recently bought a ring that I was told is pure silver and my finger is turning green. Does this happen with silver? I thought that it only happened with cheaper metals, so did I get ripped off or lied to? I am really disappointed and now I am kind of embarrassed to wear the ring because I feel like people think I am cheap – but it was actually quite an expensive ring!
August 15, 2011
By itself, silver is too soft to be used in jewelry so it is alloyed with other metals to improve its durability and hardness. In the US, the jewelry must contain at least 92.5% pure silver in order to be called "silver". The rest of the alloy is usually copper. Unfortunately, it seems that the copper is the problem for you as copper will turn your finger green if your skin reacts to it.
