These 14-karat studs are designed with both style and the environment in mind. That's the natural composition of these metals," Okubo says. "Definitionally, brass and silver have copper in it. As to how it turns your flesh a different color, she says it's a result of the copper in your jewelry reacting to your skin tone.Īnd in certain metals, there's really no avoiding copper. In fact, Okubo says the natural state of this metal appears green. So, why exactly is your finger turning green? But there's part of the population, whatever hormones they have, naturally eats through plating very fast," she says. I wish that understood their own body chemistry because some people will find can wear gold-plated jewelry for years and it's totally fine. ![]() "It's hard to say how long a piece will last because it's honestly very dependent on the actual person themselves. Okubo also says your personal body chemistry can speed up the tarnishing process as well. She says that exposure to water and air makes a bad combination, but chemicals from the items you use every day can be just as harmful - like your sunscreen, hand lotion, perfume or hairspray. According to Okubo, the lasting power is not only determined by the plating thickness, but also by the use of each piece and what you're exposing it to while wearing it. Now, here's where we return to that chemistry lesson. "That's sort of the standard in the industry, and the problem with that is that it honestly doesn't last." ![]() "If the pricing is too good to be true, what you're probably getting is just the thinnest of thin layers, which is called flash ," Okubo says. Generally, the thicker the plating, the longer it’s going to last because plating eventually wears off. What you want to watch out for is jewelry with thinner layers. And you'll notice that the thicker the gold plating, the more expensive it is, because you’re basically getting a larger quantity of the gold. She says to think of these jewelry pieces as being dipped in gold - which is exactly what happens. "It’s the nature of things," Okubo puts plainly. "You should know what's in your jewelry." Very rarely do we get customers asking, 'What is in my jewelry?' 'How thick is this plating?' I love it when people actually care," says Okubo. "In terms of gold-plated brass and even gold-plated sterling silver, there are different levels of quality there and you really should be asking how thick the plating is. But, at the moment, if you're more worried about that recent purchase of gold-plated accessories, and wondering if it was a massive waste of money, Okubo says you need to first check on two things: the underlying metal and its "thickness." Okubo goes into more detail on the science of tarnishing. If you barely passed chemistry class, don't fret. Unfortunately, there’s just no way around it." With gold-plated brass, what happens is the gold plating wears off, and what breaks down the plating is typically exposure to water or travel. And why this happens, if you remember back in chemistry class - it's oxidation. And then for silver jewelry, sterling silver is a nice metal it's just that by nature, it tarnishes as well. "The problem with brass is that it tarnishes. "Typically a lot of affordable jewelry is made of brass, and the reason why that is, is it's typically an easy material to work with," says Okubo. Why is your jewelry looking like an ancient artifact only weeks after purchasing? Why does it look like your ring finger is growing moss? Well, knowing what kind of metals are dominating the market (and what they are truly made from) can answer those questions. Luckily for you (and all accessory shoppers), we pegged a true expert in the jewelry-making business - engineer, jewelry designed and founder of the brand Maison Miru Trisha Okubo - to give us the rundown on the metals your shopping and how to keep them shining like new for longer. Whether your digits are turning different colors or what you thought was "fine" jewelry is somehow looking a bit lackluster, you're probably looking for answers. If the latter applies to you, you'll want to read these next couple paragraphs closely. Or two: Your finger is actually turning a gross shade of green. ![]() One: You're standing next to a luscious garden you've planted and tediously cared for on your own over an impressive period of time. When someone says you have a green thumb, it can mean one of two things.
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