Wearing a leather necklace or bracelet is a good idea, but doesn’t work very well when worn in water or near water. There are consequences that can happen or damage the leather.
Here Is How Water Will Wreck A Leather Necklace Or Bracelet:
There are 9 different ways the leather on a necklace or bracelet can be damaged. Water when attached to leather can cause mold, discolouration and shrinkage. The other factors you should consider are stretch, fade and cause bad smells.
We will discuss the 9 ways water can wreck your leather necklace, and some handy ways you can go about fix the leather if it has gotten wet.
Ways Water Will Wreck a Leather Necklace or Bracelet
Water and leather are two substances that seem to be at odds. Why put jewellery on a body that will be invaded by water and develop stains overtime to take it off when you shower and risk further discoloration?
Many people do – they’re entirely different substances, after all. Water can certainly ruin your leather necklace or bracelet; you need to take them off every once in a while, especially after swimming or washing your hands before eating. If you wear your jewelry in a humid climate or during an intense workout, you’re going to sweat, and this will cause moisture to accumulate in your jewelry.
This moisture won’t damage your jewellery right away, but it will because of a build up of sweat inside the jewellery. However, there are ways to protect your leather. Its natural oils, for example, will keep it from drying out – but only if it is reinforced by wax or protective coatings, like Saddle Soap. Avoid all perfumes and lotions as these can mar leather as well.
Mold
Leather is made from animal hides and skins, but it’s not like skin. While our skin can heal itself and grow new cells, leather doesn’t.
Leather is a porous material, which means there are tiny holes all over the bracelet or necklace, allowing water and other liquids to seep in and be absorbed. Water causes the leather to become stiff, and the colour will fade when exposed to water over long periods.
The leather will also begin to mold and warp. The mold can often be seen as green, blue, or black spots on the leather’s surface. Mold begins to grow when water sits on leather for long periods.
Mold often appears in small circular patterns across the leather’s surface. It can grow on leather, including cowhide, pigskin, lambskin, and goatskin. It usually grows only on the outside of a piece of jewellery.
However, it may grow between layers of leather if you have a multiple-strand necklace or bracelet with multiple pieces of leather glued together or stitched together by hand. Mold is caused by water absorption. Water is absorbed through the tiny holes found on all types of leather. Once water is absorbed, bacteria begin to develop, causing mold growth.
Discoloration
Leather is a natural material that is very sensitive to the environment. Never wear the leather while swimming or bathing, as this will permanently damage your leather jewellery. This can change the color and texture of the leather and may cause your bracelet to shrink or warp out of shape.
When you’re around water, remove your leather bracelet, necklace, or other piece of jewellery to prevent it from being damaged. If your piece does get wet, dry it carefully with a hairdryer on the relaxed setting, and then treat it with a leather preservative.
Keep your jewellery away from chemicals in soaps, hair products, and perfumes, as these chemicals can strip oils from the leather and cause discoloration. To prevent this type of discoloration, spray perfumes on your body before putting on your jewellery, and avoid using soap or shampoo directly on the jewellery.
Shrink
The main problem with water and leather is that the leather can shrink. When the leather shrinks, it isn’t easy to get the jewelry on and off.
The other problem with wet leather and water is that water causes the dye in colored leather to bleed. This is especially true if the leather has been dyed black. Leather takes a long time to dry out. So instead of just letting your jewelry dry out overnight, you should hang it up over a radiator or in front of a fan to speed up the drying process.
If you don’t have either of those items, you can put your jewelry in a warm sunny place and let it dry out slowly.
If you have a leather necklace or bracelet that has shrunk, there are several things that you can do to restore it to its original size. The easiest thing to do is add some moisture back into the shrunken leather. By adding moisture back into the leather, you will hopefully be able to stretch it out back to its original size.
To do this, rub some baby oil into the bony area until it is completely saturated with baby oil. Then take your thumb and rub along the length of the necklace or bracelet that has shrunk to stretch out the necklace or bracelet back to its original size.
Irritate Your Skin
Water and humidity are two factors that can make your skin irritated, especially if you have sensitive skin. If you’re wearing a leather necklace and it gets wet, it will contact your skin all day long, which means there is more chance for irritation, rashes, and other skin problems like infections.
Leather necklaces and bracelets are usually made from genuine leather. This type of leather has been treated with chemicals to create a smooth surface. These chemicals can irritate your skin, especially when they get wet. What’s even worse is that these chemicals can be absorbed by your body through the pores on your skin, causing internal damage over time.
Bad Smells
Water is terrible for jewellery because bacteria and other nasty, stinky things can grow in your necklace or bracelet. A leather necklace with a magnetic clasp is prone to harboring bacteria, especially if you accidentally leave it on in the shower.
These bacteria, fungi, and mold smell bad, but they are also harmful to your skin, so many people get contact dermatitis from wearing their leather jewellery too often. This is unpleasant, but it also leads to discoloration of the metal parts, which can be unsightly.
When you wear these leather necklaces or bracelets all day long, your skin oils are absorbed into the porous leather fibers. This can cause discoloration of the metal parts, making them look dirty and grimy instead of shiny and pretty. It would help if you took care of your leather jewelry not to become damaged by moisture or other environmental factors.
Damages the Coating
If your leather necklace or bracelet has been coated with wax or oil, getting it wet may damage that coating.
This means some of the coating properties may no longer be present once it dries again. For example, if your jewellery received a waterproof coating before being soldered together, getting it wet could mean that you no longer.
Draws out Oils
Leather contains oils that help keep it soft, flexible, and resistant to cracking. When leather gets wet, these oils get drawn to the surface and evaporate. This can cause your leather to become dry and brittle, eventually leading to cracking.
Fades Leather
While leather starts with a unique natural sheen, nothing stays brand new forever – not even leather. When you expose leather to water, it increases the speed at which it fades. You don’t want to wear your favourite pair of leather sandals while running through sprinklers or sitting by the pool.
Stretch the Leather
Leather items worn frequently, such as bracelets and necklaces, may begin to stretch over time due to wear and tear. This stretching can cause the item to loosen around your wrist or neck and make it difficult for you to fasten it securely. Stretching can be caused by repeatedly wearing a necklace or bracelet too loosely on your body, but it can also be caused by exposure to moisture.
When leather becomes wet, the fibers expand and then contract as they dry again. This constant expansion-contraction cycle can weaken fibers that break down more quickly than usual when exposed to wear and tear.
Three Ways to Fix Your Leather Necklace or Bracelet (If It Has Gotten Wet)
Leather is a material that many people love wearing due to its ability to adapt to weather and the way it molds itself according to the body’s contours.
But what happens if you have leather on your neck? This means that numerous things could happen if this gets in contact with water or any liquid. But don’t worry, here are ways in which you can fix your leather necklace or bracelet if it has gotten wet.
Dry Naturally
The best way to dry your leather jewellery is to let it dry naturally at room temperature. This method will work for small amounts of moisture, such as sweat or raindrops. Lay the item out on a towel and allow it to air-dry, then buff with a soft cloth once it is scorched.
If the leather has gotten wetter than you’d like, you can speed up the drying by using a blow dryer on low heat. Never use high heat, which could damage the item or cause burns. Before you begin, wipe off excess water from the leather with a soft cloth so that it won’t drip when you’re drying it.
Hold the hairdryer 4-5 inches away from the product and move it back and forth across the item’s surface until it is scorched.
Use cotton balls or paper towels to dab away moisture as needed between blow-drying sessions if there is still water present after trying to remove it with a cloth. This method will work for items that have gotten rained on or been exposed to other small amounts of moisture.
Clean the Leather
The first step is to clean the leather. You can do this by rubbing some conditioner into the leather and then wiping away any excess with a cloth. This will remove any dirt and oil from previous wearings of the necklace or bracelet so that when you apply the following steps, there are no contaminants on your leather jewellery.
The second step is to spray water repellent on your necklace or bracelet. This will help prevent future water damage from occurring again because the spray creates an invisible barrier around your leather jewelry which repels moisture. The third step is to use conditioner for your leather jewellery.
The olive oil works much like conditioner does for hair by moisturizing and softening up dry areas of skin while also making it more pliable to be shaped into different designs without cracking or breaking apart easily.
Condition the Leather
You need to condition the leather. Use a leather conditioner to do this task. The best way to condition the leather is to use a soft brush with the conditioner. Brush the area where the necklace or bracelet got wet until all of the water has been absorbed. Then give it time to dry before wearing it again.
