Can You Wear Gold Jewelry in the Shower

Gold jewelry will always hold a special place in our hearts.

While gold jewelry is a popular choice for wedding bands and heirlooms, it can also be bought for regular use.

This stunning, sparkly metal looks great on anyone. Unless… The water takes away its spark!

Would you like to know whether or not you can wear gold jewelry in the shower and how to take care of it afterward?

 Here’s everything you need to know.

Wait, Does Gold Even Rust In The Shower?

As a metal, gold is incredibly unreactive.

Due to its low reactivity, pure gold does not rust or tarnish over time.

Gold is even considered a noble metal in the periodic table.

If your jewelry piece is made wholly of pure gold, then you can be sure it will not rust in the shower.

However, a vast majority of gold jewelry is not made from pure gold. Instead, it has other harder metals mixed in.

These metals are added to make the jewelry piece harder since gold is softer than most other metals.

Exposing this kind of jewelry to water can cause the added metals to rust or tarnish over time. Once this happens, your gold jewelry could likely end up ruined.

Interestingly, the higher the gold content in the jewelry piece, the more resistant to rust the piece will be.

While pure gold does not rust, it is still possible for you to see the red spots of rust on your gold piece.

This is not the gold rusting; it’s either the copper or silver content present in the gold that is rusting.

24 karat gold or pure gold has 0.1 part per 1000 made of silver or copper.

This tiny portion of the gold piece can still react with oxygen or water, resulting in rust.

Experts recommend leaving these small areas to the professional jewelry cleaners since you may damage your gold piece when you clean it.

Can You Wear 10k Gold In The Shower?

As you already know, gold does not rust in the shower. But if gold jewelry is exposed to water, the metal that mixes with it could deteriorate.

10k gold consists of 10 parts gold and 14 parts other metals, usually silver or copper, or zinc.

If you shower with your 10k gold pieces on, there’s a high chance that the metals mixed in will rust. If this happens, 10k gold jewelry can end up getting damaged.

Also, while gold does not rust underwater, it does tarnish.

Repeated exposure to water and certain chemicals will cause it to lose its shine.

Can You Wear 14k Gold In The Shower?

14k gold is 58.3% gold and less likely to rust than 10k gold when exposed to water.

However, stay away from shower chemicals while wearing your 14k gold jewelry.

Some soaps, gels, or scrubs can cause your gold piece to tarnish.

You should also avoid scratching your jewelry on hard surfaces as much as you can.

You should dry off your gold as quickly as possible once you are done showering.

Can You Wear 18k Gold In The Shower?

Yes, you can. 18 karat gold has a gold content of 18 parts (75%) and does not react readily with water. Therefore, it stays rust-free for a long time.

Yet, you do NOT want to bathe with your gold piece if you want it to be as bright and shiny as it was when you first purchased it.

Soapy water can leave residues on your 18k gold pieces causing them to become dull and lose their shine.

You can get rid of the residue with a quick wash, but why give yourself the extra work.

Also, repeated exposure to water can eventually result in rust forming on the gold piece.

Gold lasts for a long time, and taking your jewelry off before a shower will help it last even longer.

Can You Wear 24k Gold In The Shower?

Yes. 24k gold is the purest kind of gold. You can shower with it without fear of it rusting.

Nevertheless, the luster of the gold gradually goes away if it is exposed to water over and over again.

Dull gold ends up looking like a knockoff of the original. That’s probably the last thing you want others to think after paying for your original gold piece.

24k gold is also softer than other kinds of gold; repeatedly exposing it to potential abrasion and scratches is not a sound idea.

24 karats gold holds the least amount of impurities.

If you own any piece that is not 24 karats, it has other metals mixed in with the gold.

You can rest easy; mixing in different metals does not ruin your gold piece. The metals are only added to make your gold jewelry harder and more durable.

Gold is not a very durable metal; it scratches pretty easily.

For those with a hectic lifestyle, you should go for less than 24 karat gold. This will ensure the longevity of your jewelry.

Can You Wear Gold Filled Jewelry In The Shower?

Yes. You can shower with gold-filled jewelry.

It comes down to the way the gold-filled jewelry is made.

Gold-filled jewelry usually has a base metal with a thick gold metal layered on it through a bonding process.

Unlike gold-plated jewelry, gold-filled jewelry is more durable and less likely to wear off.

Even while you are swimming, you can take a piece of such jewelry with you.

However, keep in mind that repeatedly exposing jewelry to water is generally not a good idea.

Can You Shower With A Gold Chain Or Necklace?

While gold does not react with water, other metals mixed in with it can.

If your chain or necklace is made of 10k, 14k, or 18k gold, rust will naturally appear on the necklace’s surface with time.

Additionally, 24k gold is much softer than all other forms, so wearing it in the shower is not a good idea.

Also, all forms of gold lose their shine when exposed to hard or soapy water.

You can restore the shine by cleaning it, but this will only expose your chain or necklace to even more water.

Can You Shower With White Gold?

White gold is a mix of gold and other metals such as manganese, palladium, or nickel.

This alloy of gold is much more durable and affordable than other precious metals. As such, it is a common choice for making jewelry.

As a result, white gold jewelry can be worn in the shower.

It is improbable for it to react with the water or rust.

 However, repeatedly exposing the jewelry to water can cause it to lose its shine pretty quickly.

Soaps and other body washes are intended to exfoliate your skin and are abrasive by nature.

As a result,  jewelry pieces made of white gold can suffer scratches. 

Can You Wear Gold Jewelry In The Pool?

No, and not just for gold jewelry alone.

Chlorine is commonly found in most, if not all, swimming pools.

This hard chemical can tarnish your jewelry pieces if it comes in contact with them.

Avoid wearing your gold pieces in the pool to preserve them for as long as possible.

Additionally, there is a chance of losing the jewelry piece while you are in the pool.

To be safe, remove your gold jewelry before entering a swimming pool.

How to Care For Gold Jewelry And Make it Last Longer

Let’s go over the best ways to care for your gold jewelry pieces.

Tip #1. Keep them dry as much as possible

The best way to care for your gold jewelry is to keep it dry.

While some kinds of gold can fare better under the shower, it’s generally a good idea to keep them away from the shower.

Water tarnishes gold, and this causes it to lose its shine.

Repeatedly exposing your gold jewelry to water and other liquids like perfumes, oils, and hand washes will only worsen things.

You should only put on your jewelry after you have dried off and applied all your lotions and perfumes to be safe.

Tip #2. Store them in airtight boxes or bags

Jewelry often comes in plastic bags.

These bags ensure that moisture or air doesn’t come into contact with your jewelry.

The oxygen in the air can oxidize your gold piece and tarnish it.

In worst-case scenarios, it can cause it to rust.

So you want to keep your jewelry out of the air as much as possible. 

You can also store your jewelry pieces in Ziploc bags if these plastic bags aren’t available.