Can I Wear my Silver Cremation Jewellery in the Pool?

A tarnished silver cremation jewellery piece next to a polished silver piece with a swimming pool in the background
Pictured Jewellery My Heart Cremation Necklace
Wearing your cremation jewellery all the time can be a great way to deal with the loss of your loved one. Keeping your cremation jewellery on you gives you a tangible way to hold their memory and remind yourself of all the precious moments you shared together. However, there are some places in which cremation jewellery, particularly pieces made of Sterling silver, will not be suitable for wearing. In this article, we will discuss whether or not it is safe to wear Sterling silver cremation jewellery while in a swimming pool, what to do if you have worn it in a swimming pool and other places that may not be suitable for silver cremation jewellery.

Silver in the Swimming Pool

The answer to whether or not you can wear your silver cremation jewellery in the swimming pool is a resounding no and for many reasons. At Eternal Urns, we provide a wide range of Sterling silver jewellery at an extremely good quality but even our jewellery is not suitable for the pool. This is due to the fact that the material itself is not able to survive the harsh chemicals associated with swimming pools. It doesn't matter what kind or grade of silver jewellery you have, sterling silver and pure silver will both tarnish and in some cases and even begin to rust under certain conditions. Swimming pools contain a variety of different chemicals that can negatively affect your Sterling silver cremation jewellery and can lead to it weakening, tarnishing and even potential water entering the chamber where the ashes are held, diluting the ashes and potentially losing them. This is why you should never wear your cremation jewellery in the pool even if it is made of a different material such as stainless steel or Vermeil gold. This is also why we wouldn't recommend for you to wear your cremation jewellery in any intense water exposure environments such as a shower or the beach as the chamber containing the ashes won't always be watertight, especially after prolonged use.

What to do if you Have Worn Your Cremation Jewellery to the Pool

If you have worn your cremation jewellery to the pool and notice some tarnishing afterwards, fear not, you will be able to return your piece to its former shiny silver glory. Simply follow the below steps and your cremation jewellery will be a gleaming silver in no time at all. There are two main methods we will discuss that can be used effectively to clean your cremation jewellery from tarnishing.

The Baking Soda Method

1. Ensure a clean working environment

Make sure that the area you will clean your cremation jewellery in or be free of distractions.

2. (Recommended) Clear out the ashes

An important step to make sure you complete before you begin to clean your jewellery is to ensure the ashes are removed and kept safe separately. This is so that you can be sure that your loved ones ashes are kept safe and will not accidentally be cleaned off in the process.

3. Make a baking soda paste

Combine two parts of baking soda with one part of water and mix together until you form a paste like substance.

4. Apply the paste

Once you've made the paste and the ashes have been removed, apply the paste to the affected areas of the jewellery.

5. Let it dry

When the paste has been completely applied, let it dry and then remove the paste completely by rinsing under water and completely drying with a soft cloth or microfibre towel. The tarnish of the silver should be largely removed after this.

6. Reapply

If there is still further tarnishing on your piece, simply reapply the paste and repeat this process until there is no more visible tarnishing.

The Dish Soap Method

1. Follow previous steps one and two

They will be just as important for this method.

2. Make solution

Add a few drops of liquid dish soap to a bowl of warm water and mix together until bubbles form.

3. Soak cremation jewellery

Let your piece of cremation jewellery soak for at least 10 minutes.

4. Scrub down

Using a soft bristle brush or a toothbrush, begin to scrub down your jewellery reaching any nook and cranny where tarnishing can be.

5. Rinse off

Make sure to completely rinse off your cremation jewellery in warm water once you have finished scrubbing.

6. Thoroughly dry

Make sure to then thoroughly dry the jewellery so no moisture remains, this should remove any tarnishing the jewellery had. Use a microfibre or other soft cloth for this purpose.

Where Else Should You Not Wear Silver Cremation Jewellery?

Silver cremation jewellery shouldn't be worn in any situation where its silver can be diminished. This would include any chemical or salt rich environments such as the ocean, swimming pools and even the shower as the chemicals in shampoos, body wash and conditioners can have adverse effects on your silver. As mentioned before silver cremation jewellery should also not be worn near any water as the chamber holding the ashes isn't always water tight depending on the piece design, wear and tear and other factors.

Understanding how your silver cremation jewellery can react within the environment is an incredibly important step in knowing how to take care of it and your loved one that resides inside. We hope this article has provided some insights as to how you should care for your silver cremation jewellery as well as what to avoid while wearing it. As Australia's largest urn and cremation jewellery store, Eternal Urns has an extensive range of the best quality silver cremation jewellery available, so check out our range today if you are after a new piece for your loved one.