About boog
 

Hi. I’m Lindsey. Also known as BOOG. I’m originally from the Midwest U S of A, and currently reside in the lovely Cumberland, British Columbia. The arts are in my blood, though I think sometimes I try to resist it. My background is in Painting and Art History - Conservation and Restoration found me for many years, the auction world too. Which just furthered my love of old things, intricate things, odd and ends, and forgotten things. BOOG formed with the move from Portland, OR to Vancouver, BC. Originally as a source of healing and understanding, it has transformed into a source of never-ending possibility.

Why Bronze?

First, a little history- Did you know bronze was the first alloy used by humans? You’ve probably heard of the Bronze Age (3000BC-1200BC!), it was named so because of the introduction of, you guessed it, BRONZE - which was insanely significant for every civilization that encountered it and spurred early features of urbanization. CRAZY COOL. All that, plus, bronze is one of the most durable man made materials, it will last thousands of years! (talk about creating new antiquities!) So why do I love it? The history! It’s a classic and the colour is so lovely. It’s warm, rich and similar in tone to say 14k rose gold. Brass is too yellow, almost an abrasive colour (in my opinion) so when you don’t love silver and can’t totally afford gold, bronze is a great sub. It will however tarnish, but can easily be shined to perfection. Like with everything you can embrace the change or not, you do you.

Is My Bronze Jewelry Turning My Skin Kinda Green? 

I like to think of Bronze as a slow jewelry metal. It takes care to own bronze pieces. They are on their own, a tiny art piece. There was a reason so many artists sculpted in Bronze after all! That being said, your skin can turn slightly green from the copper content in your bronze jewelry (there are a variety of jewellery metals that can do this). In almost all cases of this happening, rings are the culprit due to the close, consistent contact with your skin.

It’s essentially an oxidation process that occurs when you combine certain jewellery metals with skin. It’s important to remember that skin discoloration from jewellery is not the same as a skin reaction or allergic reaction.

In fact, getting green skin from certain metals is a common reaction and does not hurt or harm your skin, and it can be easily washed off with soap and water.

Many alloyed metals can cause skin discolouration, especially when mixed with perspiration and skin oils. As we’ve hammered out already: copper is the most common culprit for skin discoloration. That said, you can also experience some degree of skin discolouration from gold and silver metals. Why? Well, rarely are gold and silver jewellery made entirely of one material. They are simply too soft on their own to be used in jewellery.

So, how do I stop it?

Well, there is not really one answer. but you can take steps to alleviate it like-

-Clean your jewellery regularly to remove dirt, liquids, lotions or soap particles which might cling to the jewellery and accelerate oxidation against the skin.

- For rings, which are the main culprit of this reaction, you can coat the inside with a clear nail polish to create a barrier between your skin and the metal. I coat each piece with JewelryShield, but this will wear off over time.

- Don’t wear jewellery that turns skin green on hot days, because perspiration is the main reason why jewellery metals oxidize against your skin and lead to discoloration.

As you can see, many metals and alloys cause skin discoloration when combined with the elements. However, skin discoloration is not permanent or harmful. Following these steps will help you minimize skin discoloration and get back to enjoying your beloved jewellery items.