Can You Swim With Your Jewelry On? What You Need to Know
Can you swim with your jewelry on? Yes, if it is stainless steel with a PVD coating: it handles chlorine, salt water and fresh water, as long as you give it a quick rinse afterwards. Real gold copes with the water itself, but chlorine slowly attacks the alloy. Gold-plated pieces, 925 silver and pearls come off. Below you will find what to do for each type of water and each material, from the indoor pool this autumn to the sauna and a winter holiday in the sun.
The short answer
The four questions we hear most often:
- Gold earrings in the pool? Gold-tone stainless steel earrings with PVD can stay in; rinse them afterwards. Real gold earrings are better taken out (chlorine), gold-plated ones always.
- A freshwater pearl bracelet while swimming? No. Chlorine, salt and soap dull pearls and weaken the thread. The same goes for pearl-look pieces.
- Can stainless steel handle chlorine? Yes. Rinse it with tap water after swimming and pat it dry, and it stays beautiful.
- Can gold go in salt water? Real gold can, because gold does not react to salt. Gold plating wears faster from salt and sand. Gold-tone stainless steel with PVD can handle it too.
Always off: all jewelry in the sauna (metal gets hot), and pearls, natural stone and elastic in any kind of water.
By type of water: what does it do to your jewelry?
Water is not the same everywhere. The difference lies in what is in it: chlorine, salt, sand or heat. At a glance:
| Where you swim | What it does to jewelry | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Swimming pool | Chlorine attacks silver, gold plating and pearls and dulls stones | Stainless steel can stay on; rinse it in the shower |
| Sea | Salt dries into a white film, sand scratches | Stainless steel can stay on; rinse with fresh water afterwards |
| Lake or natural pool | Fresh but cold: your fingers shrink | Tighten rings or leave them in your bag |
| Sauna and steam room | Heat makes metal hot on your skin | Necklaces, bracelets and rings off |
| Hot tub or jacuzzi | Warm water with extra chlorine or bromine | Stainless steel only, and rinse well afterwards |
The pool: chlorine is the toughest
Autumn is when many people go back to swimming laps in the indoor pool or join an aqua jogging class. Pool water contains chlorine, and that is what most jewelry handles worst. Silver tarnishes faster, gold plating wears off and pearls lose their lustre. Stainless steel with a PVD coating can take it: the steel does not rust and the coating is firmly bonded.
Gold earrings in the pool: what works?
Choose small, closed shapes: studs, huggies or mini hoops with a hinged clasp. They stay put under a swim cap and do not catch on the strap of your goggles. Leave long drop earrings at home, and real gold earrings too: over time chlorine can attack the alloy of 14 and 18 carat gold, especially at settings and solder points.
Pictured
Cathie – a huggie that stays put
A small gold-tone hoop that closes snugly around your earlobe, with a sparkling cubic zirconia stone below. Stainless steel with PVD, so it can go in the water. Rinse it in the shower after your swim and you are done.
View the Cathie →
The sea: salt, sand and sun
Sea water is salty, but that is no problem for stainless steel. Dried salt does leave a white film, though, and sand acts like sandpaper on fine chains and shiny finishes. So rinse your jewelry with fresh water after a dip, for example under the beach or hotel shower.
Can gold go in salt water?
Real gold can. Gold itself does not react to salt, although lower carat pieces (14 or 9 carat) can lose some shine because of the other metals in the alloy. Gold plating is a different story: that thin layer wears off from salt, sand and sunscreen, and the base metal starts to show. Gold-tone stainless steel with PVD can handle salt water: a PVD coating is much harder than traditional gold plating.
Lakes and natural pools: fresh but cold
Fresh natural water contains no chlorine and no salt, so it is gentle on your jewelry. The risk lies elsewhere: in cold water your fingers get thinner, so a ring slips off easily. And whatever falls into a lake is usually gone for good.
Wearing an adjustable ring? Squeeze it slightly tighter before you swim. Is it loose? Then leave it in your bag. Rinse your jewelry afterwards, as natural water can contain algae and mud. The Phoenix in the photo at the top is adjustable too.
Sauna, steam room and hot tub
A spa day feels extra good in autumn. Bring your jewelry, but not into the sauna: at 80 to 100 degrees Celsius metal gets hot, and you feel it on your skin straight away. Stainless steel will not be damaged, but it is not pleasant. So take off necklaces, bracelets and rings; many people keep small studs in without a problem.
The steam room is less hot but very humid. A hot tub is the harshest of all: warm water with extra chlorine or bromine. Stainless steel can cope if you rinse it well afterwards; everything else comes off.
By material: what can go in the water?
Not sure about one specific piece? Then look at the material.
Stainless steel with PVD: can go in
Does not rust and handles chlorine, salt and fresh water, even if you swim often. Rinse it after the pool or the sea and pat it dry.
Real gold (14 or 18 carat): sea yes, pool preferably not
Gold itself is extremely resistant, but the other metals in the alloy are sensitive to chlorine. And it would be a shame to lose a valuable piece in the water.
Gold-plated and 925 silver: better off
Gold plating wears off from chlorine, salt and sand. Real silver quickly tarnishes in chlorine and salt water; you can polish it, but taking it off saves you the trouble. Silver-tone stainless steel has the same look without tarnishing.
Pearls and pearl-look: always off
Pearls are a natural product made of layers of nacre: soft and delicate. Chlorine, salt, soap and sweat dull their lustre, and a thread that pearls are strung on stretches or weakens when it gets wet often. So a freshwater pearl bracelet is not something to swim in. The same goes for pearl-look: Lundholm's pearl-look jewelry is not waterproof. Wear it dry, for example with a sweater or blouse; you will find ideas in how to wear pearls.
The full overview per material, including showering, workouts and sweat, is in which jewelry can get wet.
A winter holiday in the sun: what to pack
Heading to the sun this winter, for example the Canary Islands or Egypt? Then you will switch between pool, sea and terrace in one day. Pack two or three pieces you can simply keep on, and leave pearls, natural stone and valuable pieces at home. That way nothing has to go in the safe and nothing gets lost.
After swimming: how to keep your jewelry beautiful
- RinseWith tap water, after chlorine, salt or natural water.
- Pat dryWith a soft cloth; do not leave them wet in your bag.
- On lastAfter sunscreen, body lotion and perfume.
- Store drySeparately, so they do not scratch or tangle.
Has a piece lost some shine anyway? Read how to clean it safely in cleaning jewelry by material.
Why Lundholm jewelry can go in the water
Almost all Lundholm jewelry is made of premium stainless steel with a gold- or silver-tone PVD coating. It is waterproof and hypoallergenic, so you can swim, shower and work out in it. Pearl-look is the exception: it is not waterproof. Pieces with natural stone and elastic bracelets also come off before the water. Everything that can go in is in the waterproof jewelry collection.
Order before 3 pm (CET) on a working day and we ship your order the same day. Free shipping thresholds vary by country; see our shipping page. When you order in our own webshop you always get a free gift bag, and with larger orders the gift ladder adds free gifts too.
Frequently asked questions about swimming with jewelry
Can you swim in a pool with gold earrings?
With gold-tone stainless steel earrings with a PVD coating, yes; rinse them with tap water after swimming. Real gold earrings are better taken out, because chlorine slowly attacks the alloy. Always take out gold-plated earrings. Choose small studs or huggies, which stay put under a swim cap.
Can I wear a freshwater pearl bracelet while swimming?
Better not. Pearls are soft and delicate: chlorine, salt and soap dull them, and the thread can stretch or weaken when it gets wet. The same goes for pearl-look. Take your pearl bracelet off before you swim or shower.
Can stainless steel handle chlorine?
Yes. Stainless steel does not rust and can handle chlorinated water. Do rinse it after swimming and pat it dry, so no chlorine residue stays behind in links and settings.
Can gold go in salt water?
Real gold can: gold itself does not react to salt. Gold plating wears faster from salt, sand and sunscreen. Gold-tone stainless steel with a PVD coating can also handle sea water; rinse it with fresh water afterwards.
Can you wear jewelry in the sauna?
Better not. Metal gets hot in the sauna and you feel it on your skin. Take off necklaces, bracelets and rings. Pearls, pearl-look, natural stone and elastic never belong in the sauna.
Can you swim with silver jewelry?
Not with real silver (925): chlorine and salt make it tarnish quickly. Silver-tone stainless steel can go in the water.
Can you lose your ring while swimming?
Yes, especially in cold water. Your fingers get thinner, so a ring slips off easily. Tighten an adjustable ring slightly or leave a loose ring in your bag.
Should you rinse jewelry after swimming?
Yes, it is the best habit. Rinse it with tap water after the pool, the sea or a lake, and pat it dry with a soft cloth.
Jewelry that can go in the water
Discover all waterproof Lundholm jewelry: premium stainless steel, hypoallergenic and always in a luxury gift box.
