What Jewelry Can You Wear in the Shower? Showering with your Jewelry is a confusing topic. A lot of people ask: Can I shower with gold jewelry? Can I shower with stainless steel jewelry? Can I wear sterling silver jewelry in the shower? And more questions.
This post will teach you what jewelry can or can not wear in the shower or somewhere else.
Before purchasing jewelry, or even though if you already have jewelry, one question, a lot of people ask is if you can shower with it. It is mostly out of convenience that people ask, but also it could be from a forgetful place where you went into the shower with your jewelry.
Here we are going to put your mind at ease and answer the most sought-after questions about showering with jewelry on.
What jewelry can or cannot you wear in the shower?
Here, we are going to look at a breakdown of the jewelry that you can or cannot wear in the shower.
Guys, I suggest you guys can read the table first. You can find a short answer in the table below.
But, if you want to know the answers in detail, I do hope you guys scroll down for more accurate answers.
Can I shower with stainless steel jewelry?
The overall answer is yes, you can shower with stainless steel jewelry, and it will be fine.
However, it depends on the quality of the stainless steel that you have. When you have one that is good quality, it will not tarnish when exposed to water.
The other thing is that you can also swim with your stainless steel jewelry. If you want to get lasting service, get surgical stainless steel as they are durable and long-lasting.
Can you wear stainless steel in the ocean?
Last week, I wrote a post: Can You Take a Shower with Stainless Steel Jewelry? This post will tell you more about this topic in detail. While stainless steel proves itself to be long-wearing, when exposed to seawater over time, it will indeed rust and corrode.
In general, stainless steel does not fair on well in chloride environments; the ocean is one of them.
However, if you’re always in the ocean and you want to have your jewelry on at all times, opt for 316 stainless steel that has two percent molybdenum that does not tarnish under similar environments.
Can I wear diamond studs or a diamond ring in the shower?
Showering with your diamond ring or studs on is a no-no.
Why?
The reason for that is that when it is exposed to oils, lotions, and certain soaps, it creates a thin film over the stone that diminishes the diamond’s shine.
Therefore, if you want your diamonds to look timeless and as though you got them yesterday, ensure that you take off your diamond studs or diamond earrings before getting into the shower, or any water body for that matter.
Can I wear sterling silver jewelry in the shower?
When you shower with sterling silver on, you are risking tarnishing over time.
In general, it doesn’t harm the metal, but it will affect its look later on.
It is also prone to tarnishing when exposed to harsh chemicals, chlorine, and even salts.
Therefore, before taking a shower, or even going to the pool or the ocean, it is advisable that you take off your sterling silver jewelry.
If you know more about this topic, here I wrote a specific topic for you. this post will teach you how to protect your sterling silver jewelry if you showered with it. read here: Can You Wear Sterling Silver in the Shower?
Can I shower with silver plated jewelry?
You would better NOT shower with your silver-plated jewelry.
Silver-plated jewelry does tarnish after a while even from exposure to chemicals such as lotions and other substances.
What happens is that the silver also reacts to air, causing it to change color. Silver-plated jewelry is essentially a base metal, usually brass, that has a thin layer of silver on top.
Over time, the silver scraps off and you’re left with the brass underneath.
The tarnishing will happen at some point, and therefore, it is better that you don’t speed up that process by exposing it to water while showering.
Can I shower with gold jewelry?
You could choose to shower with your gold jewelry but what you’re doing is risking reducing the shine over time. However, the metal itself will be fine.
Whether it is rose gold, white gold, or yellow gold, you ought to practice removing them before going for a shower.
When gold is not shiny, it tends to look like a knock-off version of the real thing, and that’s the last thing you wish people to think after paying a pretty penny for your gold jewelry.
Can I shower with gold-filled jewelry?
Yes, you can shower with gold-filled jewelry. The reason for that is because of how this kind of jewelry is made.
It consists of base metal and then after you have a thick layer of gold on top. These two different metals get bonded.
That makes it durable, and it won’t chip or wear off as is the case with gold-plated jewelry.
Though there are some measures, you can take to ensure that they last long, generally, there is a lot you can do with gold-filled jewelry. Apart from taking a shower, you can also go for a swim with it without having to worry.
Can I shower with gold-plated jewelry?
No, you shouldn’t even consider doing that. The issue that arises from that is that when it is exposed to too much water and moisture, it is going to chip.
Gold plated jewelry usually has a base metal, which could be silver or copper.
However, on the surface, it gets covered by a very thin layer of gold added on in a process called platting.
This layer gets tarnished over time as the gold layer gets scratched or chipped.
Therefore, the more you have a plated item underwater for long, the more it is prone to chipping.
Can you wear 18k gold in the shower?
No, you can’t wear 18k gold in the shower. In nature, 14k gold is more resistant to bending, scratching, and scuffing as it is harder and more durable.
18k gold, on the other hand, is more delicate and more prone to tarnishing than its counterpart.
You should then avoid exposing it to water and other chemicals that might lead to the loss of initial shine the jewelry comes with.
Can you wear 14k gold in the shower?
Yes, you can wear 14k gold in the shower. What also makes it likable is that you’re able to get a timeless piece at an affordable price.
What you should do though is keep it away from harsh chemicals or abrasive surfaces.
That means don’t use shower gels or scrubs as they will scratch on the gold and cause it to tarnish.
After you’ve showered, you can wipe down the jewelry with a soft cloth.
Can I wear platinum in the shower?
Platinum has a shine to it that makes it a beloved and distinct metal for jewelry.
Showering with platinum on is not advisable because, gradually, it is going to lose its shine and become darker.
Though it happens over time, you want to be polishing your platinum jewelry when you start noticing a change.
To answer it simply, you can shower with it; it’s just that it won’t look the same at a later time.
Can I wear my watch in the shower?
Even if your watch is written ‘water-resistant’ at the back, it is generally not a good idea to shower with your watch.
Even if it is waterproof, avoid touching the buttons as it could expose the internal structure to moisture.
The other reason to avoid showering with your watch is that over time it is going to wear off, especially if it plated.
That is because the shampoo, soap, and other products you use will gradually wear down the materials that make up the watch.
Also, if you’re going to shower with your watch, ensure that you have a screw-down crown or be sure that the water has been pressure tested.
Can I wear my pearls in the shower?
The answer to this question is a hard ‘NO’. Pearls are extremely delicate by nature. The surface of the pearls can easily get affected by external environments.
That means you should keep it away from chemicals, oils, shampoos, soaps and other alkaline or acidic products.
Therefore, never shower with your pearls or expose them to the water of any nature.
You also want to wipe it down with a soft cloth once you’re down wearing them to wipe away any oils or sweat that might get on them.
Can I shower with alloy jewelry?
Alloys are a combination of two or more elements. The purpose of it is to bring about strength and durability where a singular metal would have been weak by itself. It then matters the types of alloys that get used and how they create water.
The most common alloys for jewelry making are silver, silver-filled, gold, base metal (iron, nickel, brass, copper, titanium, etc.) platinum and titanium.
So far, we have established that it is best to NOT shower with them over time as they will tarnish and fade.
Therefore, it is safer to avoid showering with alloy jewelry.
Is it okay to wear jewelry in the pool?
It is NOT OK to wear jewelry in the pool. Chlorine is a hard chemical and will tarnish your jewelry and cause it to fade.
There is also the risk of you losing a piece of jewelry then the stopper or clasp comes off, and you’re left looking for your precious jewelry. There are those that are alright to swim with, such as custom jewelry that is made of inexpensive metals.
Last month, I also wrote a post on this topic: Can I wear my tungsten carbide rings in the shower? If you want to read more about this topic, check here to read.
Basic care for your jewelry
Now that we have explored what jewelry is okay to shower with and those that are not, let’s look at the basic care you ought to give your jewelry.
1. Keep it dry
We have been discussing whether to shower with certain jewelry, and it remains that it is best to keep them out of the shower.
Therefore, the first tip to taking care of your jewelry is that it should remain dry.
Don’t let it comes into contact with moisture or liquids. It’s best not to have your jewelry in the bathroom because the mist formed can cause the metal to tarnish over time.
Lotions, perfumes, hand washes, and oils, in general, do also affect the look of your jewelry over time.
The best time to wear your jewelry is when you’ve already sprayed on perfume and put on lotion and other oils.
That way, there is minimal contact with the stated products. Overall, once you take off your jewelry, wipe it off with a soft cloth before storage.
2. Proper storage
You will find that jewelry comes in plastic velvet bags. The purpose of such packaging is to ensure that no moisture gets on your jewelry when you’re not wearing it.
If you don’t have any of these, then do purchase a simple Ziploc bag and close in your jewelry, ensuring that you get out as much air as possible.
The reason for removing the air is so that it does not oxidize with the metal. There are also anti-tarnish strips that you can get.
These strips are absorbent and take in all the things around the jewelry that could cause tarnishing over time. You can put the strips in the bag or your jewelry box.
3. Take a break
Over time, we are promised that jewelry will tarnish. Therefore, the best idea is to get jewelry that you can wear on rotation as you’re giving one a break.
You want to let the jewelry rest for a bit. If you do wear them all the time, it is exposed to a lot of elements, and the wear will show over time.
5. Service the jewelry
Equally, you can give your jewelry a break by giving it some TLC. That means cleaning and polishing them using mild detergent and polish.
Another neat trick that you can employ, particularly for sterling silver, is to use toothpaste. Put it on a cotton swab and polish your jewelry softly.
If you’re dealing with 14k and 18k gold, then you ought to take them to a jeweler that can do the servicing for you.
Conclusion
Jewelry is what helps us complete our outfits. They are ornaments that a form of expression and thus something that we wear daily.
Whether you’re at home in your gold-filled earrings or rocking a diamond earring on a special occasion, you want to care for these pieces.
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I hope you guys come back for more fashion and fashion jewelry posts or for more jewelry metals topics. Stay Cool and see you guys in the next post.
Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.