Know Your Jewellery: Materials, Water Resistance & Care

JEWELLERY MATERIALS, WATER RESISTANCE & CARE

KNOW WHAT YOU'RE BUYING

Jewellery is not indestructible, and water-resistant does not necessarily mean waterproof.

Our jewellery is made to be worn and enjoyed, and where a product is described as water-resistant, that description means exactly that: it has a degree of resistance to everyday exposure to moisture.

It does not mean that the jewellery is immune to prolonged water exposure, chemicals, perfume, chlorine, salt water, cosmetics, & heavy friction.

Every material and finish has a lifespan.

How long that lifespan is can vary considerably depending on how often a piece is worn, how it is worn and what it is exposed to.

This is particularly important with gold-plated jewellery, gemstones and decorative settings.

How thin is PVD GOLD PLATING & What does PVD mean?

PVD = Physical Vapour Deposition.

Unlike conventional electroplating, PVD is carried out in a vacuum. Material is vaporised and deposited onto the jewellery surface, creating a very dense coating. The performance of the finished coating depends on thickness, hardness, adhesion, the underlying material and the exact PVD process, not simply how many microns thick it is.PVD coatings are incredibly thin and are measured in microns (µm).

1 micron = 0.001 mm.

For comparison, a human hair is roughly 70 microns in diameter. So a 0.5-micron coating is around 1/140th the diameter of a typical human hair.

STAINLESS STEEL

Stainless steel is popular in jewellery because it is strong, durable and resistant to corrosion.

However, "stainless" does not mean that it can never corrode, discolour or change. Stainless steel relies on a protective passive surface layer, and exposure to aggressive environments, chemicals, chlorides and prolonged moisture can affect its performance.

304 STAINLESS STEEL

304 is a widely used stainless-steel grade with good corrosion resistance and durability.

It is commonly used in jewellery and many other everyday applications.

316L STAINLESS STEEL

316L is another stainless-steel grade commonly used in jewellery.

The important difference is that 316L contains molybdenum, which improves its resistance to corrosion, particularly in environments containing chlorides such as salt.

This is one reason 316L is often selected for jewellery where increased corrosion resistance is desirable.

In simple terms:

304 stainless steel: durable, corrosion resistant and suitable for everyday jewellery.

316L stainless steel: similarly durable, with greater resistance to corrosion, particularly against chlorides.

Neither grade is a guarantee that a piece will remain unchanged forever.

316L is not "waterproof steel".

It is simply a stainless-steel grade with enhanced corrosion resistance.

GOLD PLATED JEWELLERY

WHAT DOES GOLD PLATED ACTUALLY MEAN?

Gold-plated jewellery is not solid gold.

Gold plating means that a layer of gold or gold alloy has been applied to the surface of another material.

The jewellery underneath the plating remains the base material.

The gold is therefore a surface finish, rather than the material making up the entire piece.

This distinction matters.

The plating can wear over time because the surface is exposed to friction, skin contact, sweat, perfume, cosmetics, water and chemicals.

The rate at which it wears depends on several factors, including:

• Thickness of the plating

• Where the jewellery is worn

• How frequently it is worn

• Friction against skin and clothing

• Exposure to water

• Exposure to perfume and cosmetics

• Exposure to chlorine and salt

• Individual skin chemistry

• How the jewellery is stored and cleaned

There is therefore no honest universal number of months or years that gold plating will last for every person.

Two people can wear the same piece and experience completely different results.

The FTC similarly recognises that gold plating eventually wears depending on how the item is worn and the thickness of the plating.

GOLD PLATED DOES NOT MEAN GOLD THROUGHOUT

A gold-plated necklace can look like a solid-gold necklace when new.

That does not make it solid gold.

It is a gold surface applied over another material.

That is precisely why gold-plated jewellery can be offered at a much more accessible price than solid gold.

Beautiful gold appearance. A fraction of the cost of solid gold. But also a finish that needs to be looked after.

GOLD PLATING HAS A LIFE SPAN

This is worth understanding before buying any plated jewellery.

The plating is not designed to last forever.

Everyday friction gradually affects surface coatings. Areas that receive more contact - such as rings, bracelet edges, necklace chains and areas that rub against skin or clothing can naturally show wear sooner.

A plated piece that is worn occasionally and kept away from chemicals may retain its finish for considerably longer than the same piece worn every day in the shower, swimming pool and gym.

That is normal wear of a surface coating.

WATER-RESISTANT JEWELLERY

If a product is described as water-resistant, it has been designed to tolerate a degree of exposure to water.

It does not mean:

• Forever Waterproof

• Suitable for swimming

• Suitable for prolonged soaking

• Immune to chlorine

• Immune to salt water

• Immune to perfume or cosmetics

• Immune to wear

EVERYDAY WATER VS PROLONGED EXPOSURE

There is a significant difference between accidentally getting your bracelet wet while washing your hands and deliberately wearing jewellery in a swimming pool several times a week.

Likewise, occasional rain is very different from leaving jewellery wet against the skin for hours every day.

Water resistance is about resistance, not immunity.

PERFUME, LOTIONS & COSMETICS

Perfume should be applied before jewellery.

Perfume, body sprays, moisturisers, oils, hairspray, tanning products and other cosmetics can contain ingredients that may affect metal surfaces and, particularly, plated finishes.

THE SIMPLE RULE:

Spray perfume. Let it dry. Then put your jewellery on.

Avoid spraying perfume directly onto jewellery.

The same applies to creams, oils, tanning products and hairspray.

This doesn't mean one accidental spray will instantly destroy your jewellery.

It means repeated exposure can contribute to deterioration of finishes over time.

CHLORINE & SALT WATER

Swimming pools contain chlorine and other chemicals used to maintain water quality.

Sea water contains salt and chlorides.

These environments are considerably more demanding than ordinary day-to-day exposure to moisture.

For that reason, we recommend removing jewellery before:

• Swimming

• Using a hot tub

• Using a spa

• Spending prolonged periods in the sea

• Using strong cleaning chemicals

This is particularly important for gold-plated jewellery and pieces containing gemstones or decorative settings.

GEMSTONES, CRYSTALS & SETTINGS

A piece of jewellery is not necessarily made from one material.

A necklace might contain stainless steel, gold plating, a gemstone, a decorative element and a setting or adhesive.

The fact that the metal is water-resistant does not automatically mean every component of the finished piece has the same resistance.

Gemstones vary in hardness and durability.

Settings can also be affected by impact, chemicals, moisture and general wear.

Adhesives used in certain jewellery construction methods can be particularly sensitive to prolonged exposure to water, heat and chemicals.

For this reason, jewellery containing stones, crystals or decorative elements should be treated with additional care.

Water-resistant metal does not make every component of a jewellery piece waterproof.

WHAT WE RECOMMEND

DO

✓ Apply perfume and cosmetics before putting jewellery on

✓ Allow creams and lotions to dry before wearing jewellery

✓ Wipe jewellery with a soft, dry cloth after wearing

✓ Keep jewellery dry when storing it

✓ Store pieces separately where possible

✓ Remove jewellery before swimming or using a hot tub

✓ Take extra care with gold-plated and gemstone pieces

DON'T

✗ Spray perfume directly onto jewellery

✗ Deliberately soak jewellery

✗ Swim regularly while wearing jewellery

✗ Expose jewellery unnecessarily to chlorine

✗ Leave jewellery wet for prolonged periods

✗ Use abrasive cleaners

✗ Use harsh chemicals to clean plated jewellery

✗ Assume that water-resistant means indefinitely waterproof

THE BOTTOM LINE

We believe you & your customers should know exactly what they are buying.

Stainless steel is durable.

316L has greater corrosion resistance than 304.

Gold plating is a surface coating but it is not solid gold.

Water-resistant jewellery can tolerate water exposure but it is not waterproof.

Gemstones and settings can require additional care.

And all jewellery experiences wear over time.

The price of fashion jewellery reflects the materials and construction used.

You can have a beautiful, durable piece without paying the price of solid gold, but it still needs to be treated appropriately for what it is.