Ralphy the Bear Necklace

Ball chains are usually the worst for tarnishing because grime collects between every single bead and turns the whole thing grey. That is exactly why I watched this one so closely. It has been worn daily since the end of February and every bead is still the same bright gold, right down to the ones at the back of my neck. I am a nurse, so it lives under scrubs through twelve hour shifts with a lot of sweat and sanitizer, and I have never cleaned it with anything but water. The bear itself has no darkening around the stone settings either, which is the other place I expected trouble. Five months on it looks like it did the day I opened the box.

I bought this in March and I have simply never taken it off since, which includes every shower and every swim. It has been in the ocean twice on trips and in a chlorinated pool most weeks of the summer. I never dry it or wipe it down, it just stays wet on my neck until it dries on its own. The ball chain has not stiffened or spotted anywhere along its length and the pave on the bear is still completely clear with no water marks around the settings. Even the little adjustable section at the back, which is constantly damp, looks exactly like the rest of it. Water has genuinely become a non-issue with this necklace.

I get an itchy red band from almost every necklace within a couple of hours, so I have basically given up on wearing them daily. I ordered this for my niece and tried it on myself first out of curiosity. Three days later it was still on my neck with absolutely no reaction, so I ended up ordering a second one for her and keeping this one. It has been worn most days since March, including overnight and while damp from the shower, which normally guarantees a flare. Nothing at the back of my neck, nothing where the bear rests against my chest. I did not expect a ball chain to be the thing that finally works for my skin.

Same rich color as the day it arrived with no coppery shift. Daily wear through a full summer of sunscreen and heat. Not a bit of fading anywhere.

He is genuinely charming and sparkles beautifully in person. Because of how he's weighted he tips forward a little on the chain, so I straighten him a couple of times a day.

The pendant is lovely and my daughter is thrilled with it. In person the stones are a little softer than the very bright listing photos suggest. Still very pretty, just less dazzling.