Can you wear jewelry in water? Shower, pool and sea
Can you wear fashion jewelry in the shower, the pool or the sea? What chlorine and salt water do to plating, and which pieces cope best with water.
‘Waterproof jewelry’ is not a property a piece either has or lacks. The only real question is how quickly a particular kind of water affects a particular plating. Here is an honest answer for each situation.
Shower
Steel jewelry survives a quick shower unharmed. The problem is not the water but the soap: it builds up in clasps, under stones and between chain links, and that is exactly where discoloration starts.
If you wear your jewelry in the shower every day, you also need to wipe it dry every day. The routine: jewelry care.
Swimming pool
Chlorine is the harshest thing your jewelry meets in everyday life. It wears down plating faster than months of normal wear.
Here the answer is simple: take your jewelry off before you swim. That isn't being overcautious — it is the one situation where a single swim can leave a visible mark.
Sea
Salt is less aggressive than chlorine, but it stays on the piece after a swim and keeps working until it is washed off.
The practical fix: if your jewelry has been in the sea, rinse it in fresh water the same day and let it dry completely. A wet piece left in your bag does more harm than the sea itself.
Which jewelry copes best with water
- Unplated medical steel jewelry. It does not rust, and water does nothing to it: medical steel.
- Gold-plated jewelry. Water itself is not the problem, but chlorine and salt shorten the life of the plating: jewelry plating explained.
- Jewelry with glued-in stones. The worst option — water gets under the stone and the glue loosens.
Browse: All jewelry, Silver-tone jewelry, Gold-plated jewelry.
If your jewelry has already been in water
First work out whether the color has changed because of build-up on the surface or because of wear — they are two different cases: if your jewelry has darkened.
Gold plating has its own rules, and polishing is strictly off-limits: caring for gold-plated jewelry.
Frequently asked questions
Does steel jewelry rust?
No. Medical steel does not rust — that is one of the reasons it is used in jewelry.
Is a sauna bad for jewelry?
Yes, more than water does: heat and sweat together speed up wear on the plating.
Can I do the washing-up wearing a ring?
You can, but washing-up liquid can be just as hard on plating as chlorine. It is better to take the ring off.
