by Jesús Zabala - 4 min read

Can You Shower With Sterling Silver?

Sterling silver is a popular jewelry choice. This comes as no surprise as it is high-quality, elegant, and durable.

While some take the jewelry off at home, others wear it all the time because of its durable and elegant properties. But what about wearing silver while taking a shower? Can you shower with sterling silver? As a jewelry lover, you should know the answer to the question so you can properly care for your jewelry items.

In this article, we will explain sterling silver’s characteristics and what to consider when exposing your jewelry to water.

Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: Demkat

Understanding Sterling Silver

Sterling silver is an alloy made up of 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% other metals, usually copper or zinc. Copper or zinc is added to make the jewelry piece stronger and more durable, as pure silver is too soft.

Sterling silver has many properties that make the jewelry piece attractive. It has a bright, white shine that looks like platinum or white gold. It is also malleable, which allows it to be easily shaped into different designs, making silver an ideal metal for crafting fine jewelry. It is important to mention that it is safe to wear jewelry made from sterling silver because of its hypoallergenic properties.

Yet, despite its beauty, sterling silver is not as durable as other metals like gold or platinum. It can be prone to scratching and tarnishing over time. While scratches can be polished out, tarnishing can be a bit more difficult to deal with. Tarnishing happens when the air reacts with the copper or other metals in the silver.

To maintain the beauty and durability of sterling silver, you should keep it in a cool, dry place, away from chemicals that can damage it.

Can You Shower With Sterling Silver?

While it is generally safe to shower with sterling silver, it is not something we recommend. Sterling silver can withstand exposure to water in the short term without major damage. Yet, in the long run, after repeated swimming or showering with sterling silver jewelry, water can damage and tarnish the metal.

Why does this happen? Because of copper. Since sterling silver is an alloy or a blend of pure silver and copper (or other metals), you should consider the characteristics of every material.

So, when moisture and air come into contact with copper or other metals from the sterling silver jewelry, it can cause an oxidation process, which may result in tarnishing. Tarnish makes the silver’s surface dull or dark. The good news is that tarnish can be easily polished off, but if you leave it untreated for a long time, it will be difficult to remove it.

Now that we’ve covered that it’s not recommended to shower with silver, does the same apply to any type of silver jewelry – earrings and necklaces included?

Can you shower with sterling silver earrings? Can you shower with the sterling silver necklace? The same applies to any type of silver jewelry. It’s better to take the necklace or earring off to prevent coming into contact with water rather than risking damaging the jewelry piece.

To avoid damaging your sterling silver jewelry, we advise you to take it off before showering, swimming, or any water-related activity. If you choose to shower with sterling silver, make sure it is a quick shower and towel dry your jewelry later.

Factors to consider

When considering showering with your sterling silver jewelry, there are several factors to take into account.

Humidity and moisture – the humidity and moisture level in your bathroom can influence how quickly silver tarnishes.

Soap or chemicals – the type of soap and chemicals used in the shower also impact the jewelry. Mild soaps and gentle cleansers are usually safe. When it comes to chemicals, perfume, body lotion and hair spray (if it comes in contact with sterling silver earrings) can damage your jewelry faster than soap.

Source: shutterstock.com / Photo Contributor: Darren Baker

Conclusion

Can you shower with sterling silver? While you can shower with sterling silver, you should keep in mind that sterling silver is a natural metal that reacts to certain things, water being one of them. Water can oxidize the silver, leading to a tarnish over time.This means you should take several precautions if you decide to wear your jewelry in the shower.

The level of humidity and moisture impacts how quickly jewelry can tarnish. Soap and chemicals are crucial in damaging jewelry. Therefore, we advise you to use mild and gentle soaps without any additional chemicals.