Not too long ago I noticed an advert for a brand new jewelry model which bragged concerning the wonderful options of their jewelry which they claimed made it superior to different jewelry designs. As a jewelry skilled I used to be very skeptical of the claims being made, so I made a decision to do a little bit of analysis into deceptive advertising and marketing to attempt to bust some jewelry myths.
I hope this can assist you to to make higher selections once you’re looking for jewelry as no person likes to be misled or conned. So let’s get began …
Waterproof Jewelry
Once I regarded into one model claiming to promote waterproof jewelry, their product care recommendation included avoiding contact with liquids and chemical substances, together with publicity to humidity … Riiiight.
The actual fact is that water might be an issue for many steel jewelry with sufficient publicity and relying on what chemical substances that water incorporates. Remember that nearly all water you come into contact with is not pure.
Valuable Metals
Valuable metals, corresponding to stable silver jewelry and gold jewelry, are way more sturdy in terms of contact with water than base metals like brass or nickel, however they’re nonetheless not impervious.
Pure gold and silver are each smooth metals that are usually not fitted to use in jewelry making, so they’re nearly at all times alloyed with different metals to make them tougher. Salt water and chlorinated water particularly may cause injury to a few of these alloyed metals, which over time can lead to pitting and discolouration, relying on how ceaselessly and for the way lengthy the jewelry is immersed.
Platinum jewelry is commonly 90-95% pure and might be very resilient in terms of water and chemical publicity. Nonetheless, it’s going to nonetheless comprise alloyed metals which can trigger issues over time, particularly at decrease ranges of purity.
That is to not say that you must by no means expose stable treasured steel jewelry to water or will probably be ruined: that is completely not true and you may go about your everyday life with out worrying an excessive amount of. Most certainly you may get away with carrying your treasured steel jewelry on the seaside or swimming pool for years.
Nonetheless, remember that finally it is seemingly present injury from these actions, particularly if the publicity is frequent or for lengthy durations. Even showering and repeated contact with soaps, shampoos, family cleansing chemical substances, and many others. will finally have an effect.
So in the event you’re going for a swim, having a shower or performing some cleansing, it is a good suggestion to take treasured items off a minimum of among the time.
In case your jewelry is plated slightly than stable treasured steel, then it is necessary to take additional care to guard the skinny plated floor which is more likely to finally put on by to the steel beneath.
Stainless Metal & Titanium
Even extremely corrosion resistant metals like stainless-steel and titanium might be affected by chemical substances present in some water and from lengthy durations of water immersion, so it is nonetheless advisable that you just take away such jewelry whereas showering and in the event you go swimming repeatedly.
Gemstone Jewelry
When you have gemstone jewelry, then that is additionally one thing to contemplate in terms of water. Softer gems like opal and likewise pearls might be affected by publicity to water. Do your analysis earlier than getting gemstone jewelry moist regularly.
PVD Coating
On the upside, there may be PVD coating (bodily vapour deposition) which bonds a powerful coating materials to steel jewelry. This does present good safety from water injury and makes jewelry tarnish resistant. Some manufacturers promoting waterproof jewelry are certainly utilizing PVD coatings, so their claims are extra legitimate.
This nonetheless is not an ideal resolution, nevertheless. Whereas PVD coating is sturdy, will probably be tough to restore or change if it does put on by. It is also an costly course of, so there might be a restricted array of usually mass produced designs which make use of it and it’ll noticeably improve the value of these designs.
It is as much as you to determine whether or not it is price it, particularly if the underlying steel is not treasured (most PVD coated jewelry I’ve encountered is not product of stable treasured steel) and the piece has minimal intrinsic worth.
The underside line
All metals and a few gem stones might be considerably affected by extended publicity to water or moisture, which might result in corrosion, pitting or different injury.
In the event you see steel jewelry marketed as being waterproof, then you’ll want to look into what backs up this declare. Whereas there are some methods of constructing metals extra proof against water injury, you must verify what particular methodology is getting used (if any), together with what the professionals and cons could be.
To really care on your steel jewelry, then keep away from exposing it to salt water, chlorine and different liquid chemical substances as a lot as you may handle. Additionally keep away from getting it moist ceaselessly or for prolonged durations.
This additionally goes for extremely corrosion resistant metals and even these which were handled indirectly to make them extra water-resistant, particularly if you wish to maintain these items in nice situation for years to come back.
Be taught extra about easy methods to look after jewelry.
Sweatproof Jewelry
This advertising and marketing time period is simply as problematic as waterproof jewelry and for lots of the similar causes.
Sweat is barely acidic and sometimes incorporates salts, which might injury steel jewelry, together with inflicting pitting and elevated tarnish. Sweat additionally incorporates a myriad of different substances which might trigger injury or just depart a residue in your jewelry which is able to want cleansing. Sweat may additionally injury or discolour some gem stones, particularly pearls.
As well as, some folks’s sweat incorporates a combination of chemical substances that merely do not play nicely with some metals (silver particularly). In the event you’re one in all these folks, that you must watch out concerning the metals you select to put on.
There are platings and coatings (together with PVD, as above, and rhodium plating on silver or white gold) which can present resistance to sweat, however many of those will finally put on by and want restore or alternative, which can be costly or problematic.
The Backside Line
Given you may wish to clear your jewelry anyway if it has been caked in residue from sweat, then there would not appear to be a variety of level in in search of ‘sweatproof’ jewelry. It is one other advertising and marketing time period to be cautious of and to look into once you see it.
My recommendation is to take your jewelry off if you realize you are going to be sweating quite a bit (throughout train for example, and particularly in the event you train repeatedly). Additionally you’ll want to give your jewelry a clear with a delicate cleaning soap and a few water in the event you’ve been sweating on it. Try our article about easy methods to rapidly clear jewelry.
Hypoallergenic Jewelry
Do you know that ‘hypoallergenic’ is only a advertising and marketing time period which was coined within the Fifties? There is no such thing as a regulatory foundation to be used of it in Australia, the USA or elsewhere. In concept it is meant to point a decrease threat from allergic reactions to a selected product, however no person ensures that that is how the time period is used. In truth analysis signifies that many merchandise which declare to be hypoallergenic really comprise recognized allergens.
The usage of the time period ‘hypoallergenic’ in jewelry advertising and marketing can also be ceaselessly deceptive and you need to be cautious once you come throughout it. It’s typically primarily based on misunderstandings or lack of analysis.
Metallic allergy symptoms are a type of contact dermatitis. You may be capable of put on a selected steel for years earlier than all of the sudden creating a sensitivity to it and getting rashes in your pores and skin once you put on it. When you develop a sensitivity, it might’t be cured.
Nickel
In terms of allergy symptoms, not all metals are created equal. The worst offender by far in terms of jewelry is nickel. It is estimated that 17% of girls and three% of males are allergic to this steel.
Some folks assume they’re allergic to a treasured steel like gold or silver, however in actuality they’re allergic to nickel which can be alloyed with treasured metals to make them tougher or (within the case of white gold) to alter the color. Any accountable jewelry maker ought to guarantee their treasured metals are nickel free (at Simone Walsh Jewelry we definitely do).
Additionally in the event you see ‘nickel silver’ jewelry on the market, remember that that is really simply nickel and it incorporates no silver in any respect. My recommendation: don’t buy it.
You also needs to remember that stainless-steel typically incorporates nickel. It’s much less more likely to leach into your pores and skin from this steel, however it might nonetheless trigger issues. At all times you’ll want to ask the vendor if their stainless-steel jewelry incorporates nickel if they do not make this clear.
Given how widespread nickel allergy symptoms are and that you just can’t be cured when you’re delicate to it, the most effective recommendation is to keep away from nickel as a lot as you presumably can, particularly in terms of jewelry which is worn in opposition to your pores and skin.
Different metals
Heavy metals together with titanium, palladium and platinum are recognized to trigger allergic reactions for some folks, but I typically see titanium and platinum jewelry marketed as being ‘hypoallergenic’. Whereas reactions will not be overly widespread, they definitely do exist.
Copper allergy symptoms are uncommon however not non-existent and copper makes up a small quantity of sterling silver. Though there is not a lot analysis on it, it seems that a really small variety of individuals are allergic to gold (though given how many individuals put on gold for lengthy durations of time, it is clearly very uncommon).
(Studying this on an internet site that is not simonewalsh.com? Bear in mind that the content material has been stolen, infringing the copyright of a small enterprise. ABN: 65108844126)
The Backside Line
In the event you’ve developed a sensitivity to a kind of steel, then the one factor you are able to do is to get clear on precisely which steel is inflicting the issue and keep away from carrying it, even whether it is coated, plated or alloyed with one thing else. A dermatologist or allergist might help you pin this down.
Particularly you must at all times verify that jewelry you are trying to purchase is nickel free as everybody must be avoiding carrying nickel as a lot as attainable. Our gold and silver jewelry is all free from nickel.
In the event you see jewelry being advertising and marketing as ‘hypoallergenic’ and allergens are a priority to you, at all times take the time to look into the idea on which the jewelry vendor is making this declare and do a little analysis. You also needs to be clear on the kind of steel getting used of their merchandise (a jewelry vendor not making this clear up entrance must be a serious purple flag usually).
Tarnish Free Jewelry
Most metals could tarnish in the proper circumstances, however the principle offender in terms of treasured metals utilized in jewelry is silver.
Silver Tarnish
Sterling silver incorporates small quantities of copper and with publicity to moisture and a few chemical substances it’s going to flip black or brown. The excellent news is that it is easy to scrub silver jewelry, notably in the event you carry on high of it.
The commonest manufacturing strategy to make silver tarnish resistant is to plate it with rhodium, which is a vibrant white steel. Typically pure silver is utilized in plating as an alternative. These platings will usually forestall tarnish, however solely till they put on by, as plating at all times does. If this occurs you may have to get the plating changed, which can be costly.
Be taught extra about easy methods to forestall and clear tarnish from silver jewelry.
PVD Coating
As outlined within the waterproof jewelry part above, there may be PVD coating (bodily vapour deposition) which may also make jewelry tarnish resistant and is more likely to last more than plating. However, whereas it’s sturdy, it might put on by and might be tough to restore or change.
It additionally will increase price and solely a restricted variety of designs may have it, with a lot of them not being product of treasured steel.
The Backside Line
If you would like jewelry that usually will not tarnish, then it is price investing in stable gold jewelry (14k and up) or going for platinum, stainless-steel or titanium. Word that white gold is often additionally rhodium plated to make it a really white color, so it’s going to have the identical drawback with carrying by and needing restore.
In the event you’re seeing silver jewelry being marketed as tarnish free, as soon as once more that you must look into on what foundation this declare is being made. Additionally think about the professionals and cons of coatings or metals which are much less liable to tarnish. And be sure to’re throughout what tarnish is and easy methods to keep away from it and clear it.
Moral & Sustainable Jewelry
I am more and more seeing jewelry manufacturers promoting that they are sustainable, moral and environmentally pleasant. Quite a lot of them are clearly making real efforts in these areas, which is nice.
I can – hand on coronary heart – say that at Simone Walsh Jewelry we do our highest to be an moral, sustainable and eco-friendly jewelry enterprise. We commit fairly a little bit of time and vitality to doing this and bettering the place we are able to. Be taught extra about our moral & eco-friendly jewelry.
Nonetheless, for numerous companies I’ve seen making these claims, there actually is not a lot (if any) proof to again them up. It appears to be like quite a bit like these phrases are getting used purely for advertising and marketing worth.
Some manufacturers don’t have any believable again story, no clarification of how their items are made or sourced, no proof of being cautious with packaging selections or different supplies used of their enterprise, no details about the place they’re primarily based, and many others.. They merely state that they’re sustainable, moral and/or eco-friendly and hope that their clients simply naively consider it is true.
The Backside Line
If environmental points, sustainability and ethics are necessary to you (and I hope they’re), then do your analysis. Greenwashing is completely a factor.
Does the enterprise provide you with their again story? Does it sound real or prefer it’s simply advertising and marketing fluff? Do they clarify what they do to be extra moral and sustainable of their enterprise? Is it believable? Are you clear on the supplies they’re utilizing? Or how they make or supply their items?
Spending a bit little bit of time getting a intestine feeling for a model earlier than spending your cash with them could make a giant distinction.
I hope this text goes some option to dispelling some jewelry myths and serving to you keep away from being conned by deceptive advertising and marketing. For extra useful hints when looking for jewelry, try these helpful articles:
Glad jewelry buying!