Inside Ava Lockhart: How Our Waterproof Jewelry Is Made

"Waterproof gold jewelry" sounds like a contradiction — gold plating and water have historically been enemies. Here's the process that changed that, step by step.

Step 1: the steel

Every piece starts as 316L stainless steel — the marine-grade alloy used in diving watches and surgical tools. It doesn't rust, doesn't react with skin, and gives each piece a satisfying, solid weight that brass jewelry can't fake.

Step 2: the bond

Instead of dipping pieces in a thin gold bath, we use PVD — physical vapor deposition. In a vacuum chamber, 18k gold is vaporized and bonded to the steel at a molecular level, building a color layer many times thicker and harder than traditional plating. This is the step that makes "shower-proof" a promise instead of a hope.

Step 3: the stones

Our stones are lab-created — flawless, conflict-free, and cut with the same faceting as fine diamonds. Each one is set by hand and checked under magnification before a piece is approved.

Step 4: the guarantee

Every finished piece ships with our Lifetime Color Warranty. We can offer it because of steps 1–3; the process is the warranty. See the results across the newest drops — or the pieces our customers have already stress-tested for years in the Best Sellers.