Can you shower in 10K Gold jewelry? Showering with 10k gold jewelry is generally safe, as 10k gold is a durable metal that can withstand exposure to water and moisture.
10k gold jewelry is best known for its durability and its affordability making it a really good option for everyday wear. This means that it won't bend or break as easily as high karat gold pieces and is more scratch-resistant too.
As we mentioned above, both 10k and 14k solid gold are fully tarnish-resistant, waterproof, and can be refinished and polished forever—but 10k solid gold goes one step further on durability.
10K, 14K, 18K and even 22K Solid Gold is not a concern when it comes to getting your necklace wet. Whether it is a gold link chain such as gold curb chain or a gold rope chain or something else, as long as it is pure solid gold, you can swim with your gold.
"Sweat and friction can cause gold to leach out of jewelry," notes Dr. Dao.
The cons of 10k gold
And while 10k gold is massively affordable to a wide market, it is the lowest grade of gold accepted in the U.S market and is considered the least pure. You will not find gold jewelry less than 10k. Unlike 14k gold, 10k gold is quite dull in color appearance because of its low percentage of gold.
Over time, there is a chance that your 10K gold jewelry might tarnish a bit. The tarnish is due to the metal alloy in its composition. However, you can bring back the shine by buffing it out carefully. Taking care of this gold is as simple as taking care of your other gold jewelry.
10-Karat Gold
Appearance: 10k gold is pale yellow in color. It's the least yellow of all the karat types since it contains the least amount of gold. Advantages: The primary advantage of 10k gold is its durability. Since it's more alloy than gold, it stands up well to wear and tear.
Whether it is a gold necklace, bracelet, ring, or earrings, if they are 10K, 14K, 18K, or 22K, gold will not get affected by water. However, it is still not recommended to wear any gold jewelry while swimming as they can get lost easily.
With 10K 14K or 18K solid yellow gold, there's very little to worry about when it comes to sand or water. Be careful with gold plating, as exposure to water, chlorine and salt all chip away at it over time and you will have to get your accessory re-plated entirely if that's the case.
10k gold is the cheapest form of gold that's still commonly used in jewelry. If you're looking for the least expensive option, this is your best bet.
Chlorine is Public Enemy #1 for Gold:
Chlorine is not a problem for 24k pure gold, but it has very damaging effects upon some of the other precious metals that are used to alloy gold to the various gold karat values commonly used to make engagement rings, such as 10k, 14k, and 18k gold.
To keep its shine, you should clean your jewelry regularly with a solution of 10-parts warm water and 2-parts dish soap. A few extra tips: Soaking is the key: per Real Simple, you should soak your gold jewelry pieces for 3 hours and then scrub them gently with a very soft brush.
Don't sleep with your gold chain on. It's really that simple. Chunky and long chains scratch and dangle and move around while you sleep. People with sensitive skin may wake up with rashes from their chains.
Gold jewelry should be gently cleaned weekly to keep it looking shiny and new. All you need to clean most gold jewelry is warm water, dish soap, and a soft-bristled toothbrush.
10k gold chains offer a good balance of price and durability. They are less likely to bend or break than 14k gold chains, but they may not have the same luster as higher karat golds.
Unlike electroplated (dipped or plated) metals, gold filled pieces legally need to feature 1/20 or 5% of gold by weight. In terms of karat, the gold layer on the jewelry is 10k or higher. Gold filled pieces are much thicker than gold plated ones, but still can't beat solid gold.
It's not just chlorine that can damage your gold jewellery and diamonds; saltwater can damage them too. Salt causes erosion of soldered gold, silver or platinum elements. As a result, the precious metal may weaken meaning your jewellery could potentially break.
10K is the minimum gold content to be considered a real gold chain. Other markings may include numbers like 583 or 585. These are popular European gold markings. There are also markings that indicate a chain is not a real gold chain.
10k, 14k, and 18k Breakdown
Because pure gold is naturally yellow in color, the higher the karat, the more yellow the metal will appear.
14 Karat Gold: It is made up of 58.3% gold and 41.7% of other metals. Compared to 18k gold, 14K is more durable as well as affordable. The 14K gold jewellery is ideal for everyday use and offers more resistance to wear and tear than 18 and 22K gold.
10K gold contains 41.7% gold and 58.3% alloy, which means it contains more alloy than gold and therefore is a less expensive option. Pure gold is a soft metal that tends to bend and scratch very easily, so since 10K gold has the most alloy in it, it's more durable (less soft) than 14K gold.
It is a common myth that toothpaste is a good way to clean your jewellery. This is actually false. Toothpaste can damage your diamonds, gemstones, gold and silver. Toothpaste is abrasive and has a hardness of around 3/4 on the Mohs Scale of Hardness.