After this year’s never-ending and brutally cold winter, many are ready to enjoy the summer months with days spent poolside or at the sandy shore. Which leads to a question women ask quite often: “Should I wear my jewelry at the beach or in the pool?”

That’s a tough one, because of course when you are on vacation, you want to look fabulous. Not to mention, we see jewelry on bikini-clad women throughout our favorite fashion magazines. But is this really a good idea? The quick answer is probably not. There are lots of reasons why jewelry at the beach or poolside can end badly. The most obvious is the potential to lose a favorite piece in the waves or sand. The chemicals in chlorine from a pool or hot tub are damaging to metals; water can loosen any piece set with glue; sand can scratch a piece; and suntan lotions will gum up your gems, making them lose their shine.

That being said, of course, jewelry can look beautiful with your favorite bikini or caftan. If you simply must wear some jewelry, maybe this is a good time to pull out some of your fabulous fashion pieces. Pieces like this can usually hold up to more wear and tear, and should something terrible happen, you won’t be out thousands. Any jewelry you do wear to the beach or pool should be cleaned afterward to remove any oils (from sun lotions), salts (from the ocean or sweat), chemicals (chlorine) and sand. Use a cleaning formula that is appropriate for the piece (ask your jeweler if you are unsure) and polish it well with a polishing cloth. Happy travels.