Which Jewelry Can Get Wet? Showering, Swimming and the Sea
Which jewelry can get wet? Stainless steel, including pieces with a gold- or silver-tone PVD coating, titanium and solid gold can be worn in the shower, in the water and during workouts. 925 silver, gold-plated pieces, pearls, natural stone, elastic and leather are better taken off. The table below shows at a glance, per material, what works for showering, swimming, the sea and sweat.
The short answer
In short, by material:
- Can get wet: stainless steel (also with PVD), titanium, solid gold and set cubic zirconia.
- Better off: 925 silver and gold-plated pieces; they tarnish or wear.
- Always off: pearls and pearl-look, natural stone, elastic, resin and leather.
- Can stainless steel get wet? Yes: shower, pool, sea and sweat. Rinse it after chlorine or salt water.
- Can silver get wet? Real silver tarnishes from chlorine and salt; silver-tone stainless steel can get wet.
Which materials can get wet? The overview
It is not the water itself but what is in it that determines how jewelry reacts: soap, chlorine, salt or sweat. This is how the best-known materials score:
| Material | Shower | Pool | Sea | Workouts and sweat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stainless steel (also with PVD) | Yes | Yes, rinse | Yes, rinse | Yes |
| Titanium | Yes | Yes, rinse | Yes, rinse | Yes |
| Solid gold (14 or 18 carat) | Yes | Better off | Yes, rinse | Yes |
| Cubic zirconia (set, not glued) | Yes | Yes, rinse | Yes, rinse | Yes |
| 925 silver | Better off | Off | Off | Better off |
| Gold-plated | Better off | Off | Off | Off |
| Pearls and pearl-look | Off | Off | Off | Off |
| Natural stone | Better off | Off | Off | Better off |
| Elastic, resin and leather | Off | Off | Off | Better off |
Rinse means: rinse with tap water after chlorine or salt and pat the piece dry.
Can stainless steel get wet?
Yes, and that is exactly why it is so popular. Stainless steel contains chromium, which forms an ultra-thin, invisible layer on the surface. That layer protects the steel from rust and repairs itself when it gets damaged. Premium type 316 stainless steel, which is also used in shipbuilding and for medical instruments, also contains molybdenum. That makes it extra resistant to salt and chlorine.
Gold-tone stainless steel jewelry gets its colour from a PVD coating (Physical Vapour Deposition). It is applied to the steel in a vacuum and bonds far more firmly than traditional gold plating. Water does not loosen it. What can wear it over time is abrasion, for example from sand or a rough towel.
Stainless steel jewelry in the shower
Can you shower with stainless steel jewelry? Yes, every day. Water does nothing to the steel. What can make a piece look dull over time is a film of shampoo, conditioner and shower gel. So give it a final rinse with clean water and pat it dry, and it keeps its shine.
Can silver get wet?
This is where the difference between real silver and silver-tone matters. Real silver (925 sterling) does not rust, but it reacts with sulphur in the air, with sweat and above all with chlorine: it tarnishes from yellow to black. Plain water is not the problem, what is in it is. The occasional shower is fine, swimming in the pool or the sea is better avoided. You can polish silver again, but it is not maintenance-free.
Want the silver look without the tarnish? Then choose silver-tone stainless steel: it can simply get wet. Why metal sometimes discolours after all is explained in why is my necklace discolouring.
Pictured
Hazel β the silver look without polishing
A full, rounded drop in silver-tone stainless steel. It does not tarnish the way real silver does, so it can simply come into the shower. Lovely with a white blouse or a grey sweater.
View the Hazel β
Can gold get wet?
That depends on the kind of gold. Solid gold (14 or 18 carat) can get wet: gold does not rust and does not react to salt. The other metals in the alloy are sensitive to chlorine, though, so skip the pool. Gold plating is a thin layer of gold over another metal, often brass. That layer wears off from water, soap and friction, after which your skin can turn green or black.
Gold-tone stainless steel with a PVD coating sits in between: the colour of gold and the strength of steel. What to do with gold in the pool and the sea is covered in swimming with jewelry.
Cubic zirconia, pearls and natural stone
Cubic zirconia is a hard stone that does not absorb water. Set in stainless steel, it can simply come into the shower and the water. Watch out for glued stones, though: water, soap and chlorine can loosen the glue over time. Is your cubic zirconia sparkling less? There is usually a film of soap or cream on it; a quick rinse and dry helps.
Pictured
Iza β cubic zirconia that can shower
A chain bracelet with a row of cubic zirconia stones set in stainless steel. It keeps sparkling after your shower. Rinse it after swimming, that is all it needs.
View the Iza β
Pearls and pearl-look: not waterproof
Pearls are the most delicate. Real pearls, both freshwater and saltwater, are soft and react to soap, chlorine and sweat. Pearl-look pieces have a lustrous coating that dulls or flakes when it gets wet often. Lundholm's pearl-look jewelry is not waterproof either: wear it dry and put it on last. How lovely it looks with a sweater or blazer is shown in how to wear pearls.
Natural stone, elastic, resin and leather
Natural stones such as rose quartz, amethyst and tiger's eye are often slightly porous and can lose their shine or change colour. Elastic bead bracelets dry out and lose their stretch, resin turns dull and leather goes stiff and gets water marks. Take them off before you shower or swim.
Workouts and sweat
Sweat is salty and slightly acidic. Stainless steel, titanium and gold handle it well, and because stainless steel is hypoallergenic it is also comfortable on sensitive skin. Silver and gold plating discolour faster from sweat. In practice: take rings off when you lift weights, as they pinch and get scratched, and leave long necklaces at home for yoga or running.
Waterproof jewelry: what does it actually mean?
Waterproof, water-resistant or water-safe jewelry: there is no official standard like there is for watches. It means the material does not rust, does not discolour from water and has no coating that comes off. In practice that means stainless steel, titanium and solid gold. What waterproof really means and which set you can wear day and night is explained in waterproof jewelry: the 24/7 set.
Which Lundholm jewelry can get wet?
Almost everything in our collection is made of premium stainless steel with a gold- or silver-tone PVD coating: waterproof and hypoallergenic. The exception is pearl-look, which is not waterproof. Pieces with natural stone and elastic bead bracelets also come off before the water. Everything that can get wet is gathered in the waterproof jewelry collection, and every product description lists the material.
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 jewelry and water
Which jewelry can get wet?
Stainless steel (also with a gold- or silver-tone PVD coating), titanium and solid gold can get wet. Set cubic zirconia can too. 925 silver, gold-plated pieces, pearls and pearl-look, natural stone, elastic, resin and leather are better taken off before showering and swimming.
Can stainless steel get wet?
Yes. Stainless steel does not rust thanks to the chromium in the steel. You can shower, swim and work out in it. Rinse it after chlorine or salt water and pat it dry.
Can you shower with stainless steel jewelry?
Yes, every day. Water does nothing to stainless steel. A film of shampoo or shower gel can dull the shine; a final rinse with clean water and patting it dry helps.
Can silver get wet?
Real silver (925) can get wet, but it tarnishes faster from chlorine, salt and sweat. The occasional shower is fine, swimming is better avoided. Silver-tone stainless steel can simply get wet.
Can gold get wet?
Solid gold can: gold does not rust and does not react to salt, although chlorine can attack the alloy over time. Gold plating wears off from water, soap and friction. Gold-tone stainless steel with a PVD coating can simply get wet.
What is waterproof jewelry?
Waterproof jewelry is made of a material that does not rust, does not discolour from water and does not lose a coating, such as stainless steel, titanium or solid gold. There is no official standard, so always check the material in the product description.
Are pearls and pearl-look waterproof?
No. Real pearls are soft and react to soap, chlorine and sweat; pearl-look has a lustrous coating that dulls when it gets wet often. Lundholm's pearl-look jewelry is not waterproof either. Wear it dry.
Is Lundholm jewelry waterproof?
Almost all of it: it is made of premium stainless steel with a gold- or silver-tone PVD coating and is waterproof and hypoallergenic. The exceptions are pearl-look, pieces with natural stone and elastic bead bracelets; take those off before the water.
Jewelry that can get wet
Discover all waterproof Lundholm jewelry: premium stainless steel, hypoallergenic and always in a luxury gift box.
