One of the top recommended ways of protecting your jewelry is to take off the jewelry when engaging in heavy activities or when in an environment that would result in damage to the jewelry. This means no showering, swimming, cleaning, gardening, or working out with your jewelry.
Unfortunately, we are only human, and we often think of what not to do with the jewelry after the thing we were not supposed to do with the jewelry on or halfway through. In most cases, we are lucky to keep the jewelry and have them in perfect shape after swimming or working out in them. But if you work out frequently, now might be the perfect time for you to rethink your decision to always work out with your jewelry on, specifically your sterling silver necklace.
If you are not sure about the decision to always keep the necklace on or off, this article sheds light on everything you should know about working out with your sterling silver necklace.
Does sweat ruin sterling silver? Why?
Sweat is often damaging to jewelry, but the extent of damage depends on the material that the jewelry is made of. The good news is that if yours is fine jewelry made of the best quality materials, for example, solid gold or sterling silver, the necklace will not be damaged by sweat or even the oils on your skin. This applies to gold-filled jewelry as well because these are often made of a thicker layer of gold than the gold-plated jewelry – for gold filling, solid gold is bound around the base metal like brass, making it more durable.
With sterling silver necklaces, the only thing you should be aware of is the fact that the jewelry will tarnish over time, tuning grey and then black over time. This happens faster when you work out in the jewelry, but it doesn’t really cause damage because you can get rid of the tarnish by washing the necklace in soapy, lukewarm water and brushing it gently using a soft-bristled toothbrush.
So, if you are wearing a necklace made of sterling silver, you may have to clean it more often because of the tarnish that would make your silver necklace look old, tacky, and cheap. This also means that you have to confirm and make sure that the necklace is actually made of sterling silver and not just plated. This is important because most of the inexpensive jewelry is made of materials such as copper, nickel, or brass, and once the plated layer of silver is lost, the jewelry would corrode when exposed to sweat.
Since sweat is a salty mixture that’s harsh to most metals and would, therefore, speed up tarnishing on your sterling silver necklace, you might want to stop wearing your sterling silver necklace when working out.
Bear in mind that besides tarnishing from sweating, there is also the risk of the necklace being tangled up in your clothes or hair, and it could also make some workouts risky. A necklace is also considered a workout hazard.
Can sweat damage a stainless steel necklace? Why?
Yes, sweat will damage your stainless steel necklace. Although the damage will not be noticeable after one workout session, the sweat will slowly act on the stainless steel piece, corroding it slowly. So, although stainless steel is considered one of the most corrosion-resistant metals used in jewelry making, sweating will cause significant corrosion of the jewelry over time. It’s all in the sweat and the lactic acid produced by the body.
Note, however, that the rate of corrosion isn’t the same for everyone, and if you have two people wearing stainless steel necklaces, only one may show faster corrosion because some people tend to have more corrosive sweat, which is why their sweat will bleach their shirts easily.
Jewelry you can wear in the gym.
Wearing jewelry in the gym is not recommended, primarily because the workouts are intense, and the jewelry could get in the way; the jewelry could also increase the risk of injury, and there is also the risk of the jewelry breaking.
However, there are kinds of jewelry that you could still wear to the gym. These include jewelry made of solid gold, gold-filled jewelry, and sterling silver jewelry. Essentially, these kinds of jewelry are corrosion-resistant, and the risk of them reacting with sweat is rather low.
The only catch is that these jewelry options would tarnish, and you have to clean them regularly.
That said, don’t wear long dangling necklaces and other kinds of long/ dangling jewelry when working out.
You could also wear jewelry made of silicone because these are safe and minimize the risk of injuries.
If you have new piercings, opt for non-reactive, hypoallergenic, surgical-grade earrings or sleepers.
Jewelry you cannot wear in the gym.
- Don’t wear gold-plated jewelry, brass, copper, or nickel jewelry when working out.
- Don’t wear jewelry with the ‘tug’ factor, for example, heavy earrings, loops, or long necklaces.
Conclusion
You could work out with your sterling silver necklace, but only if it’s not too long. Though it will tarnish, naturally, the rate of tarnishing is higher when you work out in the necklace.
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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.