Moissanite Teardrop Pendant
£276.02
Rainbow Moissanite Studs
£89.02
Square Moissanite Studs
£111.46
Azure Dreams Band Ring
£95.75
Pieces from our collection
"Waterproof jewellery" has become one of the biggest marketing phrases in the industry — and one of the most stretched. The honest truth is that no plated jewellery is truly waterproof, some metals handle water far better than others, and what damages jewellery is usually not the water itself but what's in it. Here's the breakdown by situation.
Showering
Plain water won't destroy most metals overnight, but showers are a slow killer for plated and vermeil jewellery: soap film dulls the finish, and repeated wet-dry cycles accelerate wear of the gold layer. Solid gold and platinum genuinely don't care. Sterling silver tolerates water but tarnishes faster with humidity. Our advice — and it's the same advice we give for our own pieces: take jewellery off before showering. It takes five seconds and can double the life of a coated piece.
Swimming — the real danger zone
Pools and hot tubs contain chlorine, which is aggressive to almost every jewellery metal: it pits and weakens gold alloys over time, rapidly tarnishes silver, and strips plated finishes. Salt water is similarly corrosive. This isn't a "be careful" — it's a hard rule: no jewellery in the pool or the sea, whatever it's made of. (Losing a ring to cold-shrunk fingers in open water is its own classic tragedy.)
The gym and sweat
Sweat is salty and slightly acidic, and friction from weights and machines adds mechanical wear. Solid gold, platinum and plain sterling silver survive workouts fine with a wipe afterwards; plated pieces wear noticeably faster on wrists and fingers that grip bars. Rings can also get bent or scratched under load — many lifters keep a simple rule: nothing on the hands at the gym.
Special case: pearls and porous stones
Pearls should never go in the shower, pool or gym. Nacre is organic and is attacked by chlorine, cosmetics and acids — and the silk or thread of a strand weakens when repeatedly soaked. The same caution applies to porous stones like turquoise and larimar.
Quick reference
| Material | Shower | Pool / sea | Gym |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid gold / platinum | Fine | Avoid (chlorine, loss risk) | Fine, wipe after |
| Sterling silver | Tolerates, tarnishes faster | No — chlorine tarnish | OK, wipe after |
| Gold plated / vermeil | Take it off | Never | Take it off |
| Pearls / porous stones | Never | Never | Never |
The honest bottom line
When a brand says "waterproof", check what they mean: usually it's solid gold, or steel with PVD coating — materials that resist water, not magic. For everything plated, vermeil or pearl, the last-on, first-off habit is what actually keeps jewellery beautiful: jewellery goes on after lotions and perfume, and comes off before water, sport and sleep.