Jewellery expert warns that your summer holiday could cause long-term damage to your accessories

With Brits jetting off on their summer holidays, packing lists and outfit considerations will be in motion. Whether you have mood-boarded your holiday ‘looks’ or have your staples you return to year after year, we typically tend to look and feel our best while we’re away.

While we hope the memories of our trips last forever, we don’t want preventable damage to our favourite pieces to do the same.

To avoid this, Laura Suttie, jewellery expert at Queensmith has explained the most common ways we could be damaging our jewellery abroad.

“Unfortunately, even the highest quality jewellery can become damaged if not looked after properly. They can scratch, tarnish and break easily, which is a quick way to ruin your holiday.

“Regularly inspect your pieces for signs like loose stones, scratches, discolouration, and changes in metal colouring. We recommend using good lighting and a magnifying glass to catch issues early on. If you notice prongs appearing shorter or stones are loose, it might be time to seek repair.”

The 7 ways your holiday could ruin your jewellery

Swimming in the sea with your jewellery
With the holiday season right around the corner, think twice before wearing your favourite jewellery – especially engagement rings – in the sea.

When your hands hit the cold water, they may shrink, and it’s safe to say that once your ring falls off in the ocean, it’s likely to be gone forever. To avoid ruining your holiday fun, the safest option is to take your most precious jewellery off beforehand.

Also, the salt in seawater can corrode metals and leave them weakened and tarnished, which will ruin the appearance of your jewellery.

Putting jewellery on first, not last!
As a general rule of thumb, your jewellery should be the first thing you take off at night and the last thing you put on in the morning.

This is because products like hairspray, makeup and suncream can cling to your jewellery and tarnish or deteriorate its look over time. Make-up and skincare treatments, especially oil-based ones, can collect a lot of grime that may hide in the smaller nooks of your jewellery so try to work your jewellery around your getting–ready routine.

Diamonds and precious metals like platinum or gold won’t get long-term damage from suncream, bug spray, makeup and so on, but will require cleaning to break down the oils and keep them shining.

Sunbathing
Whether getting a good tan is your top priority on holiday, or you love nothing more than reading your book under the rays, sunbathing can in fact impact the look of your items.

Prolonged sun exposure can fade or weaken some gemstones, especially amethyst, sapphires, and rose quartz.

This is because UV light can damage the chemical structures within the gemstone that are responsible for its colour. Think of it like leaving a colourful poster in a sunny window; it will eventually bleach.

Similarly, opals and pearls can dry and crack from excess heat produced by exposure to direct light.

Swimming in chlorinated pools
There’s nothing more enjoyable than relaxing in a pool; however, even here your jewellery isn’t safe.

Chlorine can damage or discolour metals (especially white gold) and degrade settings, increasing the risk of stones falling out.

The chemical reaction that happens between chlorine and non-gold metals can corrode the pieces in an alloy, weakening the overall structure of the jewellery. This can make it more brittle and prone to breaking or bending.

The best way to protect your jewellery is to remove it before entering a pool or hot tub.

Wearing jewellery on the beach
Sand is made up of tiny, abrasive particles that can easily scratch both metal surfaces and gemstones. Softer stones like opals, turquoise, pearls, and even some types of quartz are particularly vulnerable to damage.

Sand can also get lodged in intricate settings, prongs, or clasps, making it difficult to clean and potentially weakening the structure of your jewellery over time. Even durable metals like gold and platinum aren’t immune to the gradual wear caused by gritty sand particles.

To avoid this, it’s best to leave delicate pieces in a safe place before heading to the beach and give your jewellery a gentle clean if it’s been exposed to sand.

Throwing your jewellery in your suitcase
Tossing rings, necklaces, or earrings loosely into a suitcase or handbag can lead to tangling, scratching, or even bending, especially with delicate chains or soft metals.

Earrings can easily lose their backs or become separated, and intricate designs can snag on clothing or other items in your luggage. Bumps and jolts during transit can also cause pieces to knock against each other, chipping gemstones or damaging settings.

To prevent this, use a dedicated travel jewellery case with individual compartments or soft pouches to keep each item safe and secure. It’s also a good idea to pack only essential pieces and avoid travelling with items of high sentimental or financial value unless absolutely necessary.

Clapping your hands
It may sound unlikely, but the most common damage we see with rings is when people clap while they are wearing rings on both hands. When your rings collide with the force of clapping, it can make the metal brittle and increase the risk of a stone coming loose or falling out altogether.

Next time, you might want to think twice before clapping too enthusiastically when the plane lands.