Wearing solid gold jewelry, white gold or yellow gold, in the shower will not harm the metal itself, however it can reduce the shine therefore it is not recommended. Showering with gold plated jewelry can eventually cause the gold layer to wear off completely, therefore you should definitely refrain from doing so.
Solid gold is very soft and malleable. Waterproof: Yes. Do not need to take off before shower or swimming. Care tips: It will not oxidize or discolor.
Solid Gold (10k, 14k)
Solid gold is a great choice if you're looking for a lifetime piece you can wear everyday and everywhere - yes, even in the shower! Polish with a soft cloth.
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. Rose gold and white gold can be cleaned in the same manner as yellow gold.
Showering with 10k gold jewelry is generally safe, as 10k gold is a durable metal that can withstand exposure to water and moisture.
If your jewelry is made of pure gold, there is nothing you should worry about when it comes to getting your jewelry wet. 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.
"Sweat and friction can cause gold to leach out of jewelry," notes Dr. Dao.
Because of gold jewelry's high chance of tarnish*, there are a couple specific substances to avoid: Soap – Steer clear of any soap with unknown ingredients. Basic blue Dawn dish soap is fine, but remove your gold jewelry before showering to avoid accumulating a film from other body washes.
18k gold will not oxidize or discolor, so you can wear your jewelry every day, everywhere. In order of least expensive to most expensive, and low to high quality, these are your options when buying gold jewelry: Gold-plated jewelry has a base of some other metal, such as brass, covered with a thin layer of gold.
"You can potentially damage your jewelry by constantly wearing it, but there are no major health risks to wearing jewelry every day, which includes sleeping and showering," she says (unless you're wearing costume jewelry, but we'll get to that later).
Since gold is relatively malleable, 24k gold is rarely used for jewelry that you might wear every day, like a wedding or engagement ring, since it's likely it would become misshapen. Adding an alloy like copper, iron, silver, zinc, or nickel makes it more affordable and much more durable and suitable for daily wear.
No, we do not recommend wearing your 22K gold jewelry every day. Gold is a precious metal, which means it's very malleable and soft in its purest form.
Solid Gold
Even gold vermeil, with its base of sterling silver, is best left out of water, which can tarnish the enveloping layer of gold. It's ultimately best to keep all of your jewelry dry if possible. However, if necessary, solid gold is the best type for wearing in the shower or bath.
If You Never Want to Take Your Jewelry Off
If's that you, it's OK! Sleeping with your jewelry on certainly isn't the worst thing you can do. Jewelry can withstand normal wear and tear, and the chances of damaging it while you sleep are relatively minimal.
Plastic and glass jewelry are generally okay to wear in the shower and at the beach. Simply wipe them down when you dry off or take them out to air dry. Be careful of any baubles or filigree that may come loose or be damaged on glass and plastic pieces. Stainless steel is also a go for showering.
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.
24 carat is pure gold with no other metals. Lower caratages contain less gold; 18 carat gold contains 75 per cent gold and 25 per cent other metals, often copper or silver.
The yellow-gold tint seems brighter and richer because 18k gold contains more gold than 14k or 10k gold. Yellow gold is often a blend of pure gold, copper, and nickel, which gives it a warm appearance. Yellow gold is the purest and most natural hue of gold, out of white, yellow, and rose gold.
24K is more valuable, and better as a store of value or investment, while 10K gold is more durable and better for practical use.
Yellow gold is the least susceptible to damage from hand sanitizer because there's no film or layer that can become tarnished or worn down. Platinum is another fairly safe metal.
Alcohol-based sanitizers have no effect on metal rings. Non-alcohol-based cleaners typically use chlorine-based compounds as germicides. The chlorine could cause tarnishing of jewelry, especially if the piece is made of silver, low-carat gold, or nickel-based gold.
Chlorine is gold's worst enemy: with repeated exposure, chlorine will weaken your gold jewelry's structure and eventually lead to it breaking. Make sure to take your jewelry off before getting in a pool or spa. Cover or remove while cleaning: household cleaners with acids or abrasives will damage your jewelry's finish.
The numbers of 10K, 14K, 18K, and 24K are markers of the purity of gold and expressed in terms of 'karat', hence the abbreviated K. It is often confused with carat, which is the measurement of a gem's weight. Pure gold is notated as 24K – this is the highest karat level for gold meaning it is 100% pure gold.
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.