‘Waterproof Jewellery’ seems to be the latest trend in accessories with many brands claiming to sell jewellery that is durable and long lasting for an active lifestyle be it gym workouts or impromptu jumps into the sea. However, if you are looking for quiet luxury - jewellery you want to truly treasure, pieces that hold value and age well - precious metals such as fine sterling silver, gold vermeil and solid gold are what you should be looking at, and which appreciate in value over time.
What is ‘Waterproof Jewellery’ and is it truly that? How does it compare to precious metal jewellery?
Most ‘Waterproof Jewellery’ is made from base metal or stainless steel coated through a process called Physical Vapour Deposition (PVD), a vacuum technique that bonds a thin metallic film to the surface of the metal. This handles moisture well and does not tarnish easily. However, this is a surface treatment, and eventually this coating will wear off. When that happens, the coating cannot be done again, and the piece of jewellery can become unwearable.
Precious metals such as solid gold and sterling silver are water resistant and can be worn every day. Sterling silver may tarnish but this is a natural reaction to compounds in the air and water which react with the metal, and it is totally reversible. You just need to clean your piece of jewellery with a soft silver polishing cloth to make it look shiny and clean again. This ensures you can keep wearing your jewellery for many years without any problems.
Gold vermeil jewellery is made with solid sterling silver and then plated with a thick coating of real gold. This is long lasting, however with excessive wear or exposure to strong chemicals, the coating can tarnish or come off. Light tarnish can easily be cleaned with a soft silver polishing cloth to make it shiny again. If required, it is a very simple process to gold plate your jewellery again and it can be worn for many more years to come.
Why buy jewellery made with precious metals instead of ‘Waterproof Jewellery’?
It holds real value. Sterling silver is a precious metal. Gold vermeil, real gold layered over a solid silver core, extends that value further. These are not decorative surfaces applied to cheap substrates. These precious metals always hold their inherent value, which has multiplied significantly over the years. So, buying a piece of jewellery made with fine sterling silver or solid gold is also an investment that will grow with time. All Milina London fine gold and sterling silver jewellery is hallmarked, which certifies composition and quality. The same cannot be said of jewellery made with base metals and stainless steel.
You can own handcrafted pieces. When buying jewellery made with precious metals such as sterling silver, you can choose to purchase unique handmade pieces that are tactile and precious to hold. At Milina London we pride ourselves on working with artisans in the UK, Mexico and India, using traditional silversmithing techniques handed down through generations of skilled craftsmen. The craftsmanship can truly be seen and felt in our jewellery, be it our Chunky Links Sterling Silver Necklace, our Sterling Silver Wrapped Ring or our Glass and Sterling Silver Lockets. Each piece is individually handcrafted to perfection. However, PVD coating is an automated industrial purpose. ‘Waterproof Jewellery’ is mass produced and coated in bulk and does not feel special or unique.
It can be repaired, restored, and inherited. A broken sterling silver or gold vermeil chain can be fixed. A worn bangle can be polished back to its original brightness. A ring can be resized. Sterling Silver and Solid Gold are precious metals with a full lifecycle. You can pass it on to the next generation. You can remodel old heirlooms to make modern and more wearable pieces. At Milina London, we work with you through the remodelling process to design unique pieces that are bespoke to you whilst keeping the emotions intact behind every inherited heirloom. The same cannot be done with a PVD coated piece of jewellery. It is very much to wear for a few months and then replace.
It is kinder to skin. Hallmarked nickel-free hypo-allergenic 925 Sterling Silver has a long, well-established history of safe daily wear, particularly for sensitive skin. Stainless steel alloys vary in composition, and some contain elements that cause reactions in people with metal sensitivities.
When ‘Waterproof Jewellery’ works and when it doesn’t?
There is an honest use case for ‘Waterproof Jewellery’: beach holidays, daily swimming, contact sports, situations where a piece will face genuinely punishing conditions and you're not attached to it beyond utility. In those contexts, a low-cost PVD piece is a reasonable practical tool.
But for the jewellery that truly matters, for precious pieces that are loved and worn every day, given as gifts, chosen to mark something special, waterproof steel is the wrong category entirely. The question isn't whether it can get wet. The question is what it means, how long it lasts, and whether it's still worth wearing in ten years. Precious metal jewellery is designed to answer yes to all three.