Can You Swim in Stainless Steel Jewellery? A Summer Care Guide for Men

You can. Take your 316 stainless steel chain into the surf at Bondi or Bells Beach, swim laps at the local pool, then head straight for the shower. The steel copes with all three. What it doesn't love is the salt and chlorine you carry home on it. Rinse those off and it'll stay bright all summer.

Most guides on this come from overseas brands. Here's the Aussie version, backed by advice from the Australian Stainless Steel Development Association (ASSDA): what the ocean, the pool and a sweaty February do to steel, which jewellery handles water best, and the two-minute habit that keeps it looking new.

Can you swim in stainless steel jewellery? Yes. Grade 316 stainless steel resists rust and doesn't tarnish, so salt water, pool water and showers won't harm it. A thin, clear chromium layer protects the surface and repairs itself when scratched. Rinse your jewellery in fresh water after every swim, because dried salt and chlorine dull the shine.

Is Stainless Steel Jewellery Waterproof?

It is, and the reason is a metal you've probably never thought about: chromium.

Grade 316 steel holds 16 to 18 per cent chromium. That chromium reacts with the air to form a layer on the surface so thin you can't see it, and the layer keeps water away from the iron underneath. Scratch it on a car door or a gym bar and it simply grows back. In clean, damp air, ASSDA says that takes about a day.

What about tarnish? That's the dark film that creeps over silver, and steel doesn't get it. Water on its own does nothing to 316. A swim only leaves behind whatever was in the water.

Can You Swim in the Ocean With Stainless Steel Jewellery?

Go for it. People often call 316 "marine grade" because it holds up by the sea. The secret is 2 to 3 per cent molybdenum, a metal the cheaper grade 304 doesn't contain. ASSDA names better resistance to salt as 316's main edge over the cheaper grade 304.

The thing to watch is salt that dries and sits there. Near the coast it can leave a light brown mark called tea staining. The Australian Stainless Steel Development Association says it shows up most within about 5 km of the surf. You've seen it on beach railings. It's a cosmetic mark, and it doesn't weaken the steel.

A chain you wear every day stays far cleaner than a railing nobody washes. Leave it in a beach bag for a week with sand and salt packed into the links, though, and you're asking for marks. Rinse it under the beach shower on your way back to the car. That's all it takes.

Can You Wear Stainless Steel Jewellery in the Pool?

You can, but here's the surprise: the pool is tougher on steel than the ocean. Pool chlorine is bleach, just very diluted, and ASSDA explains that chlorine is far more aggressive than salt for stainless steel.

ASSDA publishes guide figures from the Nickel Institute that show the gap between the two common grades.

*Nickel Institute guidelines for steel that sits in water around the clock at about 20°C, like a tank or a pipe. Your ring gets rinsed and dried, so read them as a way to compare the two grades, not as a limit for your jewellery.

Pools usually carry a few parts per million of chlorine. A swim and a rinse is fine. A ring that lives in a heavily dosed pool all summer may start to look a little dull. Spas are a different story. ASSDA notes that heat makes salt harder on steel, so take your jewellery off before you hop in, and rinse it after any swim.

Can You Shower With Stainless Steel Jewellery?

Leave it on. Shower water won't rust or tarnish 316 steel.

Soap is the real culprit here. Shampoo and body wash leave a thin film that builds up in the links of a chain and behind a pendant, and after a few weeks the shine looks a bit flat. A quick rinse and a pat dry with your towel stops that before it starts.

What About Sweat, Sunscreen and the Gym?

Sweat won't tarnish steel. It is salty, though, so after a long session or a day on the tools in 35 degrees, treat your jewellery like it's been in the ocean and rinse it.

Sunscreen and insect spray are the summer sneaks. Both leave an oily coating that dulls steel over time. A soapy clean every few weeks lifts it straight off.

Which Jewellery Materials Can Get Wet?

Steel is the easy one. Other materials need more care around water.

Leather is the one people forget. Our leather bracelets pair steel with leather, and water is rough on the leather itself, so take them off before you swim or shower.

Coloured finishes deserve a mention too. Black, gold and rose gold finishes sit on top of the steel, and salt, sand and rubbing wear them faster at contact points. Some brands claim plating never wears. On any metal, it slowly does. The steel underneath won't rust, but the colour is the part to protect.

Want pieces built for an Aussie summer? Browse our waterproof men's jewellery. Every steel piece uses 316 stainless, the grade ASSDA names as the minimum within 5 km of the surf. Sign up for $10 off your first order, and shop with our 30-day satisfaction guarantee behind you.

How Do You Look After Stainless Steel Jewellery in Summer?

Three habits. That's it.

1. Rinse after every swim. A tap or the beach shower washes off salt and chlorine.

2. Dry it off. A soft towel stops water spots forming as it dries.

3. Give it a proper clean every few weeks. Soak it for five minutes in warm water with a drop of dish soap, scrub gently with a soft toothbrush, then rinse and dry. ASSDA gives the same soap, warm water and rinse advice for stainless steel in general.

Skip the bleach, the scouring powder and the steel wool, because all three can mark the surface. And store each piece in its own pouch so your stainless steel necklaces don't scratch your rings in the drawer.

Second-generation goldsmiths founded hotsteel Collection in 2010. We work in 316 steel for one simple reason: it copes with how Australians actually live, from hot days and surf to sweat and hard work.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is stainless steel jewellery waterproof?

Grade 316 stainless steel is. Water can't soak into it, and a thin layer of chromium on the surface keeps rust at bay. Swim in it, shower in it, sweat in it. The only care it asks for is a rinse in fresh water after salt or chlorine, so the shine stays bright.

Does stainless steel jewellery tarnish in water?

No. Tarnish is the dark film you see on old silver, and stainless steel doesn't get it. Water itself does nothing to 316 steel. What dulls it is what the water leaves behind, like dried salt, pool chlorine or soap film. Rinse and dry it after a swim and it stays clean.

Can I leave my stainless steel chain on at the beach?

You can. A 316 chain handles the surf without any trouble. Just rinse it in fresh water afterwards so salt doesn't dry inside the links. Salt left on for a long time near the coast can cause light brown tea staining, which is only a surface mark. Regular rinsing stops it forming.

Will pool chlorine damage my stainless steel ring?

A normal swim won't. Chlorine is harder on steel than salt water, though, so hours in the pool every day or regular soaks in a hot spa could dull the shine over a season. Rinse your ring in fresh water after you swim, and keep it well away from bleach and pool chemicals.

Should I take my ring off to swim?

Not to protect the metal. 316 steel is fine in water. The risk is losing it: cold water makes fingers shrink a little, and a loose ring can slip off in the surf and you will never see it again. Got a ring that's even slightly loose? Leave it in the car and wear a chain instead.

Ready for Summer?

Swim in it. Shower in it. Sweat in it. Then give it a rinse, and your stainless steel jewellery will look as good in March as it did in December. Browse our best sellers or men's stainless steel bracelets to find your next piece. Sign up for $10 off your first order, with free delivery orders over $120 within Australia.