Short answer: solid sterling silver can get wet occasionally without ruin, but making a habit of it will age any piece faster than it needs to. Here's the honest breakdown by activity.

Showering

Solid sterling silver can survive the odd shower without lasting harm. But shower products — shampoo, conditioner, body wash — contain chemicals and fragrance oils that speed up tarnishing, and hot water opens up the metal's surface slightly, making it more reactive.

Occasional and accidental: fine. A daily habit: it'll tarnish noticeably faster than a piece that comes off first.

Swimming pools

This is the one to actually avoid. Chlorine is chemically aggressive towards metal, sterling silver included, and repeated exposure causes pitting and discolouration that a polishing cloth won't fully reverse. Take jewellery off before swimming, every time, no exceptions.

The sea

Salt water is gentler than chlorine but still not ideal — salt residue left to dry on silver contributes to tarnish and can sit in tiny crevices around a setting. Rinse with fresh water afterwards if a piece does get wet, and dry it properly rather than letting it air dry with salt still on it.

Washing your hands

Not worth worrying about. Brief water contact throughout the day causes negligible wear. Handwashing dozens of times isn't the same as submersion.

Washing up and cleaning products

Worth removing rings for. Dish soap, bleach, and most household cleaning sprays contain chemicals that are harder on silver than plain water, and rings in particular sit against the metal in a way that traps residue.

Exercise and sweat

Sweat is mildly acidic, and prolonged contact — a ring during a workout, for instance — does speed up tarnish and, on cheaper alloys, causes skin discolouration. Take jewellery off for the gym if you can; if you can't, a wipe with a dry cloth afterwards helps.

What about gold plated pieces?

Be more cautious here than with solid silver. Plating is a thin layer bonded to the surface, and water, especially with chemicals in it, is one of the main things that wears it away faster. Take gold plated jewellery off for showering, swimming, and washing up as a rule, not just an occasional precaution.

ANVIRA's gold plated pieces have a protective e-coating that helps resist this, but a coating reduces the rate of wear — it doesn't make a piece waterproof. Treat it as delicate rather than indestructible.

The practical rule

Solid silver: fine for brief, occasional water contact. Avoid pools and prolonged soaking.
Gold plated: take it off for anything beyond handwashing.
Either way: dry a piece properly if it does get wet, rather than leaving it damp.

Sleeping in jewellery

Worth mentioning while we're here: sleeping in a necklace or bracelet won't damage it, though clasps take more strain from being caught on bedding, and rings can occasionally bend if pressed against something firm overnight. Not harmful, just slightly more wear than jewellery that comes off at night.

Questions?

Email info@anvira.uk if you're not sure about a specific piece. Every ANVIRA order comes with a 12-month warranty against manufacturing faults, so if something goes wrong beyond normal wear, we want to hear about it.