The truth about ‘Water proof Jewellery’
We’ve been hearing the term ‘Waterproof Jewellery’ a lot recently, it’s been the subject of a lot of customer enquiries and social media messages, so we’d like to help clear up any misconceptions.
In the instance that it’s used, the term “Waterproof” is used to describe jewellery that will not tarnish or discolour when exposed to water. Despite the common use of term, no jewellery is truly “Waterproof”.
Some types of jewellery will hold up well with constant water exposure (9k-14k Solid Gold and Sterling Silver particularly), but none will fair completely unchanged - especially coated jewellery of any kind.
It’s worth being weary of “Waterproof Jewellery” marketing, as what’s often being marketed is ‘PVD-coated jewellery’.
PVD stands for Physical Vapour Deposition, it is a modern coating technique used to deposit thin films of one atom or molecule onto a range of surfaces, which reconditions the surface of a jewellery piece and enhances its durability.
Neither the base nor the actual coating of PVD-coated jewellery have any legal specifications. It is increasingly common for jewellery marketed as “Waterproof” to contain no real gold at all, having simply a gold toned coating.
No matter the coating on a piece of PVD-coated jewellery, it is just that. This coating will wear off in time with everyday wear, while simultaneously potentially failing to provide a safe metal surface for your precious skin.
Additionally, given that a piece of gold PVD-coated jewellery, may contain no real gold at all, the price often charged for these pieces can be wholly undeserved.
To sum up, “Waterproof” jewellery is simply a marketing term that holds no real indication of quality. Investing in solid metals such as Solid Gold and Sterling Silver is the only way to ensure your jewellery will last forever.
While no coated jewellery can guarantee a lifetime of wear, our Gold Filled pieces will stand up to a lot, all the while maintaining a safe 14k Gold barrier that is safe on sensitive skin - there’s a reason we sell so much of it!
Our quality guarantee period for the wear of our Gold Filled pieces is 12 months, but generally our pieces have between 2-4 years in them - Read the testimonial from our founder here.