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Sterling Silver Jewellery: Can I Shower or Swim Wearing My Bracelet?

 

You've found the perfect bracelet that complements your style and adds that special touch to your everyday look. But what happens when your day includes a shower, a swim, or a splash in the sea?

Let's explore how water activities affect your precious jewellery and what you can do to keep your Ella & Eve pieces sparkling for years to come.

The Quick Answer: Should You Shower or Swim with Your Bracelet?

For most sterling silver jewellery, including your favourite Ella & Eve pieces, we recommend removing them before showering or swimming. While occasional exposure to water won't immediately ruin your jewellery, regular contact with water, soaps, chlorine, and salt can gradually affect its appearance and longevity.

This simple habit of removing your bracelets, necklaces, and other pieces before water activities will help maintain their beauty and extend their life significantly. Think of it as giving your jewellery the same care you give your skin!

How Water Affects Your Precious Jewellery

Water itself isn't always the culprit—it's what's in the water that can affect your beautiful Ella & Eve jewellery. Understanding these effects helps you make informed decisions about when to remove your pieces:

  • Tap Water: Contains chlorine and minerals that can dull sterling silver over time and potentially cause spotting.
  • Shower Products: Soaps, shampoos, and conditioners leave residues that can build up in crevices and diminish shine.
  • Pool Water: Chlorine is particularly harsh on metals and can cause discolouration and even structural weakening over time.
  • Sea Water: Salt accelerates tarnishing on silver and can be corrosive to certain metal components.
  • Hot Tubs: Combine high heat with chemicals for potentially faster damage to your jewellery.

While a single shower or quick swim won't immediately damage your jewellery, repeated exposure creates cumulative effects that can be difficult to reverse. Protecting your pieces from these elements helps preserve their beauty for years to come.

Showering with Jewellery: What You Need to Know

For those moments when removing your jewellery before a shower isn't practical (perhaps you're at the gym or travelling), here's what to consider:

When It's Probably Okay (Occasionally)

  • A quick rinse with plain water
  • When using minimal, gentle products
  • For solid gold pieces without gemstones

When to Definitely Remove Your Jewellery

  • During long, hot showers
  • When using exfoliating products
  • When applying hair treatments or masks
  • For any sterling silver pieces, including sterling silver bracelets
  • For pieces with gemstones, pearls, or other delicate elements

Pro Tip: Keep a small jewellery dish in your bathroom for those moments when you need to remove your pieces before stepping into the shower. This simple habit prevents both water damage and the risk of losing your treasured items down the drain!

Swimming with Jewellery: A Complete Guide

Swimming presents even greater risks to your jewellery than showering. Here's why you should think twice before diving in with your favourite pieces:

Pool Swimming Risks

  • Chlorine can cause tarnishing and discolouration, particularly on sterling silver
  • Chemical reactions may weaken settings that hold gemstones
  • Cold water can cause fingers to shrink, increasing the risk of rings slipping off

Ocean Swimming Concerns

  • Salt water accelerates tarnishing on silver pieces
  • Sand can scratch metals and gemstones
  • Currents increase the risk of losing valuable items
  • Marine environments can affect even gold bracelets and anklets

If you absolutely must wear jewellery while swimming (perhaps for a special beach photoshoot), consider wearing only one carefully selected piece and keeping your time in the water brief. Afterwards, follow the after-exposure care tips in the next section.

Material Matters: How Different Jewellery Responds to Water

Not all jewellery reacts the same way to water exposure. Understanding how your specific Ella & Eve pieces might respond helps you make the best care decisions:

  • Sterling Silver: Most susceptible to tarnishing from water exposure, especially chlorinated or salt water. Our beautiful sterling silver necklaces and bracelets should be kept dry whenever possible.
  • Gold Vermeil: The gold layer provides some protection, but prolonged exposure can eventually affect the silver underneath. Our gold necklaces and earrings deserve special care.
  • Solid Gold: More resistant but not immune—chlorine can still cause discolouration over time.
  • Gemstones: Many stones are porous and can absorb chemicals that dull their appearance or even change their colour.
  • Pearls: Highly vulnerable to all types of water and chemicals; should never be submerged.

Remember that clasps, settings, and other small components may be made from different materials than the main piece, creating potential weak points when exposed to water.

Accidental Exposure: What to Do If Your Jewellery Gets Wet

Life happens! If your anklet, earrings, or other jewellery does get exposed to water, don't panic. Follow these steps to minimise potential damage:

  1. Rinse with Clean Water: If exposed to chlorine or salt water, gently rinse with clean, lukewarm fresh water to remove harmful residues.
  2. Pat Dry: Use a soft, lint-free cloth to carefully pat (not rub) your jewellery dry.
  3. Complete Drying: Allow pieces to air dry completely on a towel before storing them away.
  4. Gentle Polishing: Once dry, use a jewellery polishing cloth to restore shine and remove any early signs of tarnish.
  5. Inspect Settings: Check that gemstones remain secure in their settings, as water exposure can sometimes loosen them.

For sterling silver pieces that show signs of tarnish after water exposure, a gentle polish with a dedicated silver cloth can work wonders. Catching tarnish early makes it much easier to remove!

Daily Care Tips for Lasting Beauty

Beyond shower and swimming considerations, these simple daily habits will help keep your Ella & Eve jewellery looking its best:

  • Last On, First Off: Make jewellery the last thing you put on when getting ready and the first thing you take off when returning home.
  • Avoid Contact with Products: Apply perfumes, lotions, and hairsprays before putting on jewellery.
  • Wipe After Wearing: Use a soft cloth to gently wipe pieces after a day's wear to remove oils and residues.
  • Proper Storage: Store pieces separately in a cool, dry place, ideally in the original Ella & Eve packaging.
  • Regular Checks: Periodically inspect clasps, settings, and chains for any signs of wear that might need attention.

With these simple care practices, your Ella & Eve jewellery collection will maintain its beauty for years to come, becoming treasured pieces you can enjoy every day (except in the shower or pool!).

Find Your Perfect Water-Free Style

Now that you know how to properly care for your jewellery around water, why not explore our stunning collection? From delicate bracelets that add a touch of elegance to your wrist to statement necklaces that transform any outfit, Ella & Eve offers timeless pieces crafted with care.

Each Ella & Eve piece comes with a complimentary gift box that's not just perfect for gifting but also ideal for safely storing your jewellery when you're swimming, showering, or sleeping.

Looking for something special? Explore our gold bracelet collection for pieces that add warmth to any look, or browse our earrings for that perfect finishing touch.

And don't miss our current special offer: Buy one piece and get 50% off your second item! It's the perfect opportunity to build a collection that you can rotate, ensuring your favourite pieces stay in pristine condition.

Explore Our Complete Collection Today
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