Can You Wear Jewelry in the Sea or Pool? Full Chlorine & Saltwater Guide

Can You Wear Jewelry in the Sea or Pool?

You pack for a holiday, put on your favourite chain or ring, walk straight into the sea – and only think about your jewelry when you feel sand between your fingers or chlorine on your skin. In that split second the question hits: “Is this bad for my jewelry… or is it fine?”

The honest answer: sometimes it’s fine, sometimes it quietly destroys your pieces. It depends on three things: the metal, the type of water and how often you expose your jewelry to salt, chlorine, sand and sunscreen. Stainless steel, PVD gold and high-karat solid gold can handle a lot more than thin plating on cheap base metals – but nothing is completely invincible.

Our goal with this guide is simple: give you realistic, non-dramatic advice based on how metals actually behave – so you know exactly when you can keep your jewelry on, and when it’s smarter to take it off before diving in.

If you want the full background on what “waterproof jewelry” really means, start with our guide How to Know If Jewelry Is Waterproof . For more educational pieces on sizing, materials and everyday durability, explore our Jewelry Guides hub.

Sea vs Pool: Why the Water Type Matters

“Water” sounds like one thing, but for jewelry there’s a big difference between a calm hotel pool at 26°C, a heavily chlorinated spa and rough saltwater with sand and waves.

In pools, chlorine and cleaning chemicals are the main issue. They don’t usually destroy jewelry overnight, but they slowly attack the surface, especially on softer metals and thin plating. Over time this can:

• dull the shine of gold and silver
• weaken tiny solder joints in chains and clasps
• make cheap plating flake or spot

In the sea, the problem is different. Saltwater is full of minerals and salt crystals that dry on the surface, attract moisture and speed up corrosion and tarnish. Add sand, which acts like a very fine scrub, and you get:

• micro-scratches on polished surfaces
• matte patches where the finish used to be glossy
• faster darkening on reactive metals like silver

Then there is the invisible layer of sunscreen, oils and sweat. These trap chlorine and salt against the metal, so the water doesn’t just rinse off – it stays in contact with your jewelry much longer.

So the real question isn’t “Can jewelry touch water?”, but: How does this metal behave in chlorine, salt, sand and oils – and how often am I doing this?

Stainless Steel Jewelry in Chlorine and Saltwater

Let’s start with the workhorse: 316L stainless steel. This is the metal used in many modern watches and in all EXCITÀRE silver-tone pieces. It contains chromium, which forms a thin, invisible protective layer on the surface. When it’s intact, the steel doesn’t rust and barely reacts.

That passive layer is why 316L stainless steel can handle:

• occasional swims in the sea or pool
• sweaty gym sessions
• daily hand-washing and quick showers

But stainless doesn’t mean “indestructible”. With frequent, long exposure to chlorinated water that is not rinsed off, the surface can slowly:

• lose its high shine and become more satin-like
• collect a thin film of minerals and sunscreen
• develop tiny tea-colored spots in extreme cases

The good news: these changes are usually slow and preventable. If you wear 316L stainless steel jewelry in water:

• keep heavy pool sessions to a few hours, not all day, every day
• rinse pieces under clean tap water as soon as you’re done
• dry them fully with a soft cloth before throwing them into a bag or beach pouch

For a deeper comparison of stainless steel versus more traditional jewelry metals, check our guide 316L Stainless Steel vs Sterling Silver & Gold Plating .

PVD Gold Jewelry at the Beach and in the Pool

If you like a gold look but don’t want to baby your jewelry, PVD-coated stainless steel is one of the strongest options available right now. Instead of a thin layer of gold simply “painted” on, PVD uses a vacuum process to bond color at a microscopic level, creating a dense and highly stable surface.

In everyday life that means:

• better resistance to tiny scratches from sand and zippers
• more stable color compared to classic gold plating
• less chance of sudden patchy fading

But even PVD has limits. With frequent pool and sea exposure you’ll eventually see:

• slower, gradual softening of the shine instead of sharp flaking
• build-up of sunscreen and salt if you don’t rinse pieces
• more wear on high-friction points like ring edges and bracelet clasps

Our own tests with EXCITÀRE pieces show a clear pattern: occasional holiday swims are fine if you rinse and dry your jewelry afterwards. Daily hours in chlorinated water will age even the best coating faster.

Short version: 316L stainless steel + quality PVD gold is a strong choice for beach trips, city summers and everyday life – as long as you treat your jewelry the way you treat your skin: rinse, dry, don’t leave it covered in chemicals all day.

Silver Jewelry in the Sea or Pool

When most people say “silver jewelry”, they mean sterling silver (925) – 92.5% pure silver, mixed with other metals like copper. That copper is the reason silver tarnishes and darkens, especially in humid, salty or chlorinated environments.

In the sea and pool, sterling silver tends to:

• develop dark, cloudy patches faster than usual
• lose its mirror-like polish and become more matte
• pick up fine scratches from sand and pool edges

The upside: tarnish mostly sits on the surface. With a proper cleaning routine, silver can be restored. The downside: if you swim a lot and never clean your jewelry, the pieces will constantly cycle between shiny and heavily oxidised.

If you love silver and spend a lot of time in water, you basically have two options:

• accept a bit of patina as part of the look and polish pieces every now and then, or
• switch to silver-tone stainless steel for beach and pool days and save sterling silver for dry, everyday wear

EXCITÀRE uses a stainless steel base for silver-tone pieces, exactly because it handles real-life conditions better. If you prefer this low-maintenance approach, explore our Silver Stainless Steel Collection.

Solid Gold Jewelry in Chlorine and Saltwater

Solid gold sounds “safe” – and compared to many other metals, it is. Gold is a noble metal, which means it doesn’t react easily with oxygen or water. But jewelry is rarely 24K pure gold; it’s usually 14K or 18K alloyed with other metals for hardness and color.

In normal pool and sea conditions, solid gold usually:

• keeps its basic color
• picks up small surface scratches from sand and tiles
• can become slightly dull or cloudy over time if never cleaned

The bigger risk is not the gold itself, but the construction of the piece: fine chains, hollow links and soldered jump rings can be weakened by aggressive chlorine or by constant pulling in the water.

If you swim with solid gold jewelry:

• avoid hot tubs and heavily chlorinated pools if you can
• take extra care with delicate chains and stone-set rings
• rinse pieces with fresh water and dry them properly afterwards

In other words: your gold ring won’t melt in the pool, but it will stay nicer for longer if you treat it with a bit of intention.

Cheap Metals, Green Skin and Fading Plating

Almost everyone has lived this story: you buy a nice-looking ring on holiday, wear it all week in the sea and pool, and come home with green fingers and a faded, patchy band.

That reaction usually means three things:

• the core is brass or copper-heavy alloy
• the plating is very thin (sometimes just a “flash” layer)
• the piece spent hours in water, sweat and sunscreen with zero rinsing

Copper and some nickel-containing alloys react quickly with moisture, salt and chlorine. When the plating is thin, water finds tiny weak spots, reaches the base metal and the reaction shows up as:

• green or brown marks on your skin
• orange or dark patches on the inside of rings
• a yellow “gold” tone that suddenly disappears in places

If you know you’ll be in the sea and pool every day, it’s better to wear no jewelry at all than to wear very cheap, mystery-metal pieces. Or choose one or two pieces made from 316L stainless steel or high-quality PVD-coated steel that you can trust and properly care for.

Best Metals for Swimming and Beach Days

If you want to keep things practical, here’s the short list of metals that cope best with sea and pool water, as long as you rinse them:

• 316L stainless steel – highly resistant to rust and corrosion, low-maintenance, ideal for daily wear.
• PVD-coated stainless steel – adds a durable gold-tone finish that’s stronger than classic plating.
• High-karat solid gold – stable in water, but still needs basic care and a bit of common sense.

At EXCITÀRE we deliberately build around these materials so your jewelry doesn’t fall apart after one summer. If you want a minimal, silver-tone piece you don’t have to think about, explore our Silver Stainless Steel Collection. If you prefer gold, discover our Gold Jewelry Collection.

For clean, everyday styles that work on holiday and back in the city, start with: Nova Chain for a minimal chain and the Flower Ring as a subtle statement piece.

How to Care for Jewelry After Swimming

In the end, what you do in the first five minutes after swimming matters more than what metal you chose. A quick, simple routine can easily double the life of your favorite pieces.

After leaving the pool or sea:

• Rinse with fresh water as soon as you can – ideally before sunscreen and salt dry on the metal.
• Pat dry completely with a soft microfiber cloth instead of letting pieces air-dry with water spots.
• Remove sunscreen and oils later with mild soap and lukewarm water at home.
• Store pieces separately – even in a simple fabric pouch – so keys, sand and zippers don’t scratch them.

For deeper cleaning methods and long-term care, read our dedicated guide: How to Care for Silver and Gold Jewelry .

FAQ

Want a full overview of materials, sizing, styling and care? Explore our complete men’s jewelry hub: Men’s Jewelry Guide – The Complete 2026 Handbook .