Is stainless steel jewelry durable? Will it tarnish or rust?

Many people love stainless steel jewelry because of its beautiful appearance and low price. Still, those who have never come into contact with stainless steel jewelry will inevitably have questions about its quality. Is stainless steel jewelry durable? Will stainless steel jewelry tarnish or rust? These two are the most asked questions about stainless steel jewelry. Through this article, the following stainless steel jewelry manufacturer Lauren Spencer, answers these two questions and discusses how to choose stainless steel jewelry.

Is stainless steel jewelry durable?

Durability is a significant advantage of stainless steel jewelry, but its durability also depends on the technology used in its production. The standard methods are PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) and electroplating.

PVD

In PVD, these layers are deposited in a vacuum chamber on a solid surface, atom by atom. These layers can be from one atom to one millimeter thick. There may be several layers of different materials. Thicknesses of 0.25 to 0.7 microns are often referred to as thin films and are very common in the jewelry and watch industries.

PVD coatings on jewelry are 0.20 to 0.28 microns thick. Jewelry made of 0.7 microns coated steel (some top brands use 0.350.5 microns) is rare because the price variation is not proportional to the thickness difference.

Here are some methods of PVD coating:

      ▪ Cathodic arc sputtering.

      ▪ Physical vapor deposition using an electron beam.

      ▪ Evaporation deposition (mainly used for jewelry and watchmaking)

      ▪ Pulsed laser spray deposition

Electroplating

The electroplating process is straightforward. First, a negative charge is placed on the object to be coated. The object is then immersed in a metal salt solution which will be used to laminate the object.

Between PVD and electroplating, stainless steel jewelry with PVD coating will be more durable but also relatively more expensive. A good electroplating process can also effectively improve the durability of stainless steel jewelry, so which one you choose between the two depends on your price budget and which one you prefer for your pursuit of quality.

Will stainless steel jewelry tarnish or rust?

Although stainless steel is waterproof and corrosion resistant, it can also tarnish and rust over time, which is an inevitable problem for every metal. However, stainless steel jewelry contains about 10% chromium, which can prevent it from losing its luster and rusting. In addition, the environment and use habits can also help delay tarnishing and rusting, such as avoiding prolonged contact with water.

How to choose the right stainless steel jewelry for you?

When choosing stainless steel jewelry, you should consider different aspects because many factors will determine the price and quality. You should consider 3 main factors.

• Check the grade of stainless steel.

• Checking the quality of the polish

• Choose the proper plating process.

Check the grade of the stainless steel

304 and 316 are the two grades of stainless steel commonly used for stainless steel jewelry. 316 stainless steel is better and more expensive than 304. Therefore, 316 stainless steel is usually used in high-grade jewelry. However, you can hardly distinguish the two materials by appearance, so if you want to check the grade of stainless steel, you need to perform a test.

Checking the quality of polish

When buying stainless steel jewelry, you must consider the item's details closely. Check that the level is even across the entire surface. In addition, you can ask the jewelry supplier or manufacturer about the polish of the item.

Choose the proper plating process

If you want less costly jewelry, then you may consider plating, which is cheaper. However, if you have the budget to invest in jewelry, PVD-prepared jewelry will be the best, with an excellent luster effect.

Suppose you think several ways to judge the choice of stainless steel jewelry are too tricky for you. In that case, you have an easier way to choose a trustworthy stainless steel jewelry manufacturer directly. A manufacturer with a guaranteed quality reputation to provide you with stainless steel jewelry quality is undoubtedly guaranteed. For example, Lauren Spencer is one of them.