Jewelry that cannot withstand water means that you have to remove it every time you’re in contact with water, especially when bathing, swimming, or doing the dishes.

Because of this, many people have started focusing on purchasing quality jewelry that will save them the rigors of strict maintenance. Over the years, silver-tone jewelry has proven to be extraordinary, ticking all boxes thanks to its lower maintenance, versatility, attractiveness, and waterproof properties. But there are many to choose from.

In this blog, we will discuss the major waterproof silver jewelry materials and how extraordinary they are in producing fine jewelry pieces.

Silver Waterproof Jewelry Materials

When it comes to choosing the best materials for silver-toned waterproof jewelry, stainless steel jewelry and silver or brass jewelry with rhodium plating are among the most popular choices thanks to their durability and polished appearance.

• Stainless Steel: Naturally resistant to rust and tarnish, making it one of the best silver-colored waterproof options for swimming and daily wear.
• Silver Jewelry with Rhodium Plating: While silver alone isn’t water-safe, rhodium plating provides a protective layer that enhances shine and tarnish resistance, keeping silver jewelry looking bright even with water exposure.
• Brass Jewelry with Rhodium Plating: Similar to silver, brass benefits from rhodium plating, which protects against tarnish and maintains a sleek, silver-like finish with added water resistance.

Stainless Steel Waterproof Jewelry

Stainless steel is popularly revered for its lower price and versatility. Apart from resembling silver, it can be designed to look like gold. The material doesn’t oxidize because of its chromium content that helps prevent rusting and corrosion.

While stainless steel jewelry is already strong and water-resistant, it can be enhanced further with PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) plating. Even without plating, stainless steel has a high-polish silver look, giving it a sleek and sophisticated appearance ideal for stylish, low-maintenance jewelry.

Sterling Silver Waterproof Jewelry

Rhodium Plating to Make Sterling Silver Jewelry Waterproof

Sterling silver is a timeless precious metal valued for its long-term worth and versatility. Its softness and malleability make it ideal for crafting intricate designs, adding to its popularity in fine jewelry.

By nature, sterling silver jewelry isn’t waterproof and can tarnish when exposed to moisture. However, when coated with rhodium, it gains a protective barrier that significantly improves its resistance to water and tarnish.

Rhodium plating enhances sterling silver’s natural brilliance, giving it a reflective, mirror-like finish comparable to white gold or platinum. More importantly, it acts as a waterproof shield, helping the jewelry maintain its beauty and durability for years to come.

What is the Color of Rhodium Plating?

Rhodium plating is a silvery-white color. It’s bright and reflective, giving base metals a luxurious appearance. Generally, it improves the aesthetics of the jewelry, making it have a modern look and blend with any outfit.

Sterling Silver vs. Stainless Steel

Sometimes, sterling silver and stainless steel jewelry are hard to differentiate because of their identical look. However, these two materials are vastly different in terms of properties and capabilities.

Resistance to Water

The inclusion of other metals in sterling silver composition reduces the waterproof potency. It tend to tarnish when exposed to moisture and air.

Stainless steel, on the other hand, is innately hard and resistant to corrosion or rust, making it more excellent for making pieces that will be in contact with water more frequently.

Price

Sterling silver is largely composed of a precious metal (pure silver), which is quite rare to find compared to stainless steel. Hence, it’s more expensive.

Stainless steel is a composition of various metals that are easy to find, making it more affordable. It’s a great material choice for people with a lower budget.

Durability

Sterling silver is usually alloyed with copper or zinc to improve its strength and durability. This is because its main component is silver, which is soft and prone to scratch more easily.

On the other hand, stainless steel is made with strong metals (iron being a large percentage of it). This material is exceptionally strong and guaranteed to last a lifetime under proper maintenance.

Flexibility

Sterling silver is more flexible and able to be made into complicated designs. It’s lighter, making it the best choice of material when seeking for a layered jewelry style. Because of the lightness, you won’t feel you’re carrying the weight of the world even if you have different designs layered together.

Stainless steel is less flexible and difficult to configure into intricate designs. It’s harder and stronger, making it resistant to bending. This rigidity limits the complexity of designs that can be produced.

Key Takeaway

Sterling silver with rhodium plating and stainless steel are two reputable materials you can always refer to when seeking for silver-like waterproof jewelry. Even though they are both waterproof and hardly differentiable with visual appearance, they have varying compositions and properties.

With the details shared in this article, we trust that you can make an informed decision on which is best for your needs. However, at the end of the day, the producer you buy from determines the longevity and waterproof level of your piece. Hence, why we recommend you contact a professional custom jewelry manufacturer for more findings and purchase.