Everything You Need to Know About Getting Gold Jewelry Wet
So, you have a favorite piece of gold jewelry. You wear it everywhere — the shower, the swimming pool, the beach, the gym — but should you be? Here’s what you need to know about wearing jewelry in the shower.
What You Will Learn
What Happens When Gold Gets Wet?
The good news is water does not affect gold at all — with one caveat. This rule only applies to certain types of gold, like pure gold.
If you’re sure you have pure, solid 24k gold jewelry, you can feel safe wearing that gold jewelry in the shower without the water harming or damaging it. However, water is oftentimes not the most harmful element in the shower, and other dangers lurk that you should be aware of (which we’ll discuss in a moment).
Beyond pure gold jewelry, what about other types of gold jewelry?
Can You Wear Gold Plated Jewelry in the Shower?
Gold plated jewelry is more sensitive to water than pure gold jewelry. Gold plated jewelry is a piece of jewelry made from a cheaper, lower-quality base metal and then covers that base metal with a thin gold layer.
Unfortunately, the answer to ‘Can you shower with gold plated jewelry?’ is a resounding ‘No!’ If you wear gold plated jewelry in the shower, you may notice damage and discoloration to the gold plating.
Can You Shower with Gold Filled Jewelry?
Gold plated and gold filled jewelry are very similar in that both jewelry making methods apply a thin layer of gold on top of another metal to create a piece of jewelry with a real gold look. However, gold filled jewelry must meet certain specifications to be called gold filled (for example, it must contain a certain amount of yellow gold).
So, can I shower with gold filled jewelry? Yes! Because gold filled jewelry often contains more real, true gold than gold plated jewelry, it’s somewhat safer to wear in the shower. The water alone will not negatively impact it.
Can You Shower with Gold Vermeil Jewelry?
Like gold filled jewelry, gold vermeil jewelry follows a strict creation process (unlike gold plated jewelry, which is less standardized). Gold vermeil jewelry consists of a layer of gold applied to a sterling silver base.
The base is always sterling silver, and just like you wouldn’t want to wear sterling silver jewelry in the shower due to the risk of tarnishing, gold vermeil jewelry is likewise not suitable to wear in the shower.
Can You Wear Gold in the Shower? You Can, But You Might Not Want To
While you can technically wear some types of gold in the shower without worrying about the water impacting your jewelry, there are other considerations.
For example, when you shower, you’re likely not just hopping in, rinsing off with water only, and then hopping out. Instead, you’re using various products, like shampoo, conditioner, facial cleansers, body washes, etc. All of these products contain harsh chemicals that could damage your jewelry. Even the natural oils you’re washing off your skin could transfer to your gold necklace or other pieces, leaving them lackluster and needing polishing.
Additionally, it’s worth noting that since real gold is a soft metal, many jewelry manufacturers often add other metals to the gold to make it more durable. While the jewelry is still branded as 10K or 14K gold and still considered real gold and safe to wear in the shower, those other metals used in the alloy may react to the water, affecting the piece’s overall color and shine.
Beyond thinking twice about wearing your favorite gold chains or white gold rings in the shower, you should also avoid wearing a gold chain or any other jewelry made from some degree of real gold in the ocean, pool, or in different situations where your jewelry could potentially get wet (such as while sweating).
Gold Jewelry Care FAQs
Can You Wear a Gold Necklace in the Shower if You’re Not Using Soap?
Technically, if you’re not using any hygiene products whatsoever and your jewelry is made from real gold, the jewelry will not be at risk for damage under just the water.
What Kind of Jewelry Can You Wear in the Shower?
You can expose jewelry to water only (no soaps or other hygiene products) without worrying about the water negatively affecting the precious metals, including real gold jewelry, platinum jewelry, and stainless steel jewelry. Avoid wearing diamond jewelry in any water.
How Do You Clean Gold Plated Jewelry if You Can’t Get It Wet?
Try buffing or polishing the jewelry with a soft cloth as a first resort. Otherwise, use warm water and mild dish soap, but only expose the jewelry to the water for a few seconds.
Can You Shower with White Gold Necklace Jewelry?
Ideally, it’s best not to shower with any of your jewelry, However, if it’s real gold, you can wear any color of gold in the shower, including yellow gold, white gold, and rose gold.
Can You Shower With Gold Chain Jewelry?
Whether or not you can shower with gold jewelry depends on its creation process and whether or not it consists of pure gold. The actual design of the jewelry — such as a chain — does not impact whether or not a piece of jewelry is water-resistant or waterproof.
Keep Your Jewelry Protected
Beyond finding the correct answers to questions like, ‘Can I wear gold in the shower?’ or ‘Can you shower with gold necklace or other jewelry on,’ keep your jewelry safe with other smart measures, too — like jewelry insurance.
If you wear your gold jewelry every day, frequently, and love it so much that you don’t even want to take it off to shower, chances are likely to be putting your jewelry at risk.
Everyday wear and tear, accidental loss or damage — it’s all possible. However, with comprehensive jewelry insurance coverage, you can ensure your jewelry is safe no matter what happens. BriteCo will help you cover the costs of jewelry repairs or replace jewelry as needed.
Learn more and get your quick and easy quote today!
Also Check:
Unveiling the Truth: How to Tell if Gold is Real Using a Lighter
What is the Largest Gold Nugget Ever Found?
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