Skip to content
Woman wearing a white shirt with a blurred natural background
Close-up of hands with rings
by hand

CRAFTED FOR YOU

ABOUT KATE KOEL

gift ready

PACKAGED WITH CARE

by hand

CRAFTED FOR YOU

ABOUT KATE KOEL

gift ready

PACKAGED WITH CARE

MEET US IN PERSON

SAN FRANCISCO | VIBE MARKET

Pier 27 | 27 The Embarcadero, San Francisco, CA 94107

JULY 18-19

11am – 5pm

Summer Jewelry Guide: What to Wear, What to Avoid, and What “Waterproof Jewelry” Really Means
22 min read
Summer Jewelry Guide: What to Wear, What to Avoid, and What “Waterproof Jewelry” Really Means

The best summer jewelry is not necessarily the jewelry marketed as “waterproof.” In my experience as a jewelry maker, the best summer jewelry is made from materials that can handle real life: heat, sweat, skin friction, occasional moisture, travel, sunscreen mistakes, and everyday movement.

For affordable fashion jewelry, I personally swear by 14k gold-filled and sterling silver. I have 14k gold-filled bracelets on my own wrist that have been there for six years. I have worn them through ocean swims, snowy days, and even glaciers in Alaska. My thumb ring has lived through the same kind of daily wear. That does not mean jewelry needs zero care, but it does mean the right materials are absolutely worth the budget.

At Kate Koel Jewelry, https://katekoel.com/, I work with materials and designs that are meant to feel special, personal, and wearable beyond one season. My goal is not to create jewelry you wear once for a vacation photo and then forget. My goal is to create pieces you can actually live with, style often, and collect compliments on for years.

The biggest mistake I see in summer jewelry shopping is choosing the cheapest possible “vacation jewelry” and expecting it to behave like quality metal. Unknown plated alloys can irritate the ears, leave marks on the skin, tarnish quickly, or become uncomfortable after only a few hours. And the modern “waterproof jewelry” promise can be misleading if you do not understand what the piece is actually made from.

This guide is my honest summer jewelry advice: what to wear, what to avoid, what “waterproof jewelry” really means, and how to enjoy your favorite pieces without ruining them.

Can You Wear Jewelry Every Day? An Honest Guide to Everyday Jewelry from a Jewelry Maker
21 min read
Can You Wear Jewelry Every Day? An Honest Guide to Everyday Jewelry from a Jewelry Maker

Yes, you can wear jewelry every day, but everyday jewelry does not mean jewelry you never remove, never clean, and never care for. The best everyday jewelry is usually simple, mostly metal, and made from materials that can handle frequent wear, such as solid gold, platinum, sterling silver, or real 14k gold-filled jewelry. But no material is indestructible. Even good jewelry will scratch, bend, tarnish, dull, or collect buildup over time depending on your lifestyle.

Handmade turquoise pendant necklace with crushed turquoise and mother-of-pearl in resin, Kate Koel Vacation Treasures collection
10 min read
Turquoise Jewelry: A Designer's Guide to Wearing the Sea

Turquoise has carried meaning across oceans and centuries — protection, calm, the steady blue of water remembered. This is a designer's guide to wearing it, built around our Vacation Treasures collection, where real turquoise lives inside every piece.