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5 Places You Shouldn’t Wear Your Fine Jewelry
Blush and Bar
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Do you own a ring, bracelet, or necklace?
Chances are, it’s something you’ll want to keep for years to come.
That’s especially true if it’s a piece of fine jewelry made from a metal like silver, gold, or platinum.
But did you know there are five places where you shouldn’t wear that jewelry?
That’s right—tier-one jewelry is durable, but a smart owner will avoid wearing it to a few places.
A good plan is to wear an affordable backup alternative instead.
Here are five places to avoid:
1. On your vacation abroad
You’ve planned the trip of a lifetime—but is your jewelry safe?
The answer, sadly, is that it’s not as secure abroad as you might hope.
Privileges we take for granted at home aren’t always the same in other countries.
Walking around downtown with a valuable ring might not draw much attention where you live, but it makes you an immediate target for would-be muggers in many countries.
(The same with luxury watches, brand-new smartphones, and name-brand purses—but those are tips for another article.)
Even hotel safes aren’t as secure as you might think. Master codes, cards, or keys that bypass security are easy to locate, and employees are responsible for around 60% of hotel thefts.
To enjoy your vacation, leave fine jewelry and your worries at home.
2. At work
Depending on where you work, wearing jewelry can be a significant hazard.
This is especially true if your career is in the medical field, in food service, or with any machinery.
The reasons are simple. Jewelry can pose a risk when working with people, get damaged or fall into food, and snag on dangerous machinery.
As a result, most workplaces in these industries have mandatory jewelry bans.
When you’re on a break, however, a ring or necklace can be one of the simplest ways to show your flair—a form of reminding yourself that you’re not on the clock and deserve some R & R.
But instead of leaving your precious pieces in a locker or breakroom during working hours, it’s a good idea to swap out your fine jewelry for safe alternatives.
If you have to keep jewelry out of sight during the day, it’s good to wear something you could afford to lose.
3. At the pool
Ever wondered which chemicals do particular damage to metals?
If you guessed chlorine, you’d be correct.
While it’s safe in low levels for humans (or at least, safer than bacteria-ridden pool water), even trace amounts of chlorine can destroy your jewelry.
Technically, precious metals—especially gold—don’t tarnish.
But today, basically zero pieces of jewelry are made from pure 24 karat gold. Because it’s such a soft metal, gold is alloyed (mixed) with harder metals like copper, zinc, and nickel.
It’s those other metals that are susceptible to corrosion, and chlorine speeds up the natural reactions with the air and water.
Remember, the Statue of Liberty used to be the same color copper as a shiny new penny.
You don’t want that to become the fate of the alloyed metals in your ring.
Source: Bestbe Models from Pexels
4. When you’re out gardening
Did you know diamonds can be scratched?
That’s right. Despite being the hardest substances on earth, diamonds can easily be scratched during yard work.
The reason is that weaker substances, like rocks and metals, can leave nicks and marks when combined with speed and force.
Scraping your ring against a shovel blade or flying debris from a nearby lawnmower can cause permanent damage to any type of jewelry.
It’s a good idea to wear something a little less risky when you’re working with your hands outside.
5. To the gym
Sure, you want to look great during your workout session.
And a simple pair of stud earrings or a minimalist necklace can be a great put-together look for your next session (not to mention a wedding band, to avoid … misunderstandings).
But whether it’s running, CrossFit, or hot yoga, you’re going to sweat.
And that sweat contains natural chemicals that slowly break down the metals in your jewelry.
Not to mention other damage—nobody wants to scratch their gold wedding ring while lifting a dumbbell.
Source: Jonathan Borba from Pexels
How to keep your jewelry looking great for years to come
A lot of jewelry owners are surprised at that list—it’s a lot of places!
And they’d be right. The world is harsher on jewelry than most of us know.
Thankfully, there’s a simple solution to staying safe and looking great: wear backup pieces.
Instead of a $1,000+ ring, wear a ring under $100.
A piece like that can easily handle wear and tear but won’t leave you devastated if it gets damaged or goes missing.
All Blush and Bar pieces are hypoallergenic gold vermeil, meaning you’re still wearing world-class gold—but without the price tag.
