Unless you own the crown jewels, you probably wear some costume jewelry on occasion. Less expensive "gold" jewelry is made with plated metals or very low karat gold that can react with the air, your skin or cosmetics and change colors. Even sterling silver will tarnish or oxide as it reacts with skin and clothing and that tarnish can be transferred to your clothing. You may even encounter stains from metal buttons.
What causes the problem? Make-up is the most common cause of the blackening or smudging. Cosmetics often contain chemical compounds that when in contact with the jewelry metals wear or rub off very tiny particles of metal which appear as black dust and smudges. Perspiration on our skin produces mild chemicals that are enough to cause corrosion of 14 karat gold. Jewelry containing copper and silver alloys, including sterling silver, corrode readily on the skin if enough perspiration or salt is present. Sterling silver is a copper-silver alloy and is somewhat soft and more likely to be abraded to black dust by relative movement between the jewelry and the skin or clothing.
To remove the stains from a washable garment, turn the garment inside out and flush the stained area with cold water. This should force the metallic particles out of the fibers; then launder as usual. Check the area after washing. If a stain remains, prepare a solution of all-fabric or oxygen bleach and cool water and allow the stain to soak for several hours and relaunder.
If the garment is dry clean only, point out and identify the stain to your professional cleaner. If you are using a home dry cleaning kit, be sure to treat the stain with the provided stain remover before putting the garment in the dryer bag.
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