It’s summertime and y’all are killing me! Year in and year out, I hear the stories: damaged jewelry, missing stones, shark attacks. (Okay, I haven’t yet had an actual shark attack, but it’s a distinct possibility.) No matter how many times I say it, y’all are still wearing your jewelry to the beach and the pool. In the name of all that is sparkly… please stop!
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “But Kristen, I don’t want to lose it.” I pinky-promise and cross my heart that if you leave your wedding ring in a jewelry box or hidden deep in your suitcase, it will still be there when you get back. Take it to the beach, and I can make no such promises!
Here are my top reasons why you should leave your treasures at home:
Sandblasting
Sandy Breeze may be the name of my most popular bangle, but that doesn’t mean it’s good for your jewelry. There is a specific metalsmithing technique called sandblasting that creates a very particular texture, so unless you want that on your jewelry, let’s not wear it to the beach.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen is excellent for your skin, but terrible for your jewelry. All those chemicals react poorly with precious metals, causing wear and erosion. Now, this should in no way be read as an excuse not to wear your sunscreen. Wear your sunscreen, not your rings.
Chlorine
Speaking of chemicals, chlorine is also terrible for gemstones and metals. I see so many people jumping into pools without a second thought while wearing their jewelry. Please leave them in a safe place instead! This is especially important with hot tubs, where the heat adds an extra layer of harshness.
Fun fact: the very first ring I ever made featured a lapis stone. I accidentally put the ring into a jewelry acid, which happens to be the same chemical used for balancing the PH in swimming pools, and the cleaner ate right through the surface of my lapis ring. Womp womp.
Loss
For all the reasons listed above, it’s extremely common to lose a stone, break a chain, or full-on lose a piece of jewelry on the beach. Unfortunately, with all that sand, lost jewelry is virtually impossible to find. Unless you want to be wandering around for hours with a metal detector (which is still unlikely to work), it’s safer to simply not wear it.
SHARKS!!!
If all of that wasn’t enough to convince you, let me just say that it’s scientifically proven that sharks are attracted to sparkly jewelry. I don’t blame them! But think about that next time you jump in the ocean wearing your diamond earrings.
Can’t say I didn’t warn you!
