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Stainless Steel

The most valuable and highest-quality metals are used in the manufacture of jewellery, although not only precious metals such as gold or silver are meant, but also steel. A particularly robust and also visually appealing basic material for jewellery can be stainless steel. This term is used to describe steel types that have a particularly high degree of purity. For steel, this means that certain phosphorus and sulphur ingredients must not be present in the material above a value of 0.025%. Stainless steel is generally rust-free, although this cannot be regarded as a classification criterion, because stainless steels can also rust and non-stainless steels can also be rust-free. The sufficient criterion for determining when a steel is a stainless steel is therefore the precisely definable alloy component content. High-purity steels in which other metals such as aluminium or silicon are precipitated in the manufacturing process, for example, are considered to be stainless steel. However, stainless steel can also be an alloy, with chromim, molybdenum, titanum or niobium being the most common alloy components. Stainless steel has high chemical resistance, is easy to work with and has a handsome appearance; all qualities that make it an excellent base material for high-quality.

Advantages of stainless steel

Very versatile and extremely resilient - that's how stainless steel is commonly known. So it is not surprising that the jewellery industry has also discovered this material for itself. Jewellery made of stainless steel is very hard and therefore more scratch-resistant than silver or gold, for example. In addition, stainless steel is corrosion-resistant, does not oxidise like silver jewellery, for example, and is extremely easy to clean. Stainless steel also has another positive property: through contact with oxygen from the surrounding media (air, water as well as other substances), a thin layer of chromium oxide forms on the surface of the steel. This layer protects the steel underneath from further external influences. If the surface is damaged, this chromium oxide layer forms anew on its own under the influence of oxygen. For this reason, one can speak of a self-healing effect.

Varied by different finishes

It is impossible to imagine the jewellery sector without stainless steel and it enjoys great popularity. The grey-silver colouring of stainless steel suits numerous styles and looks. However, stainless steel jewellery can be combined in even more ways thanks to different coloured coatings. These range from casual black and bright silver to modern rose gold and noble yellow gold. Such a coating, also called plating, can be achieved by different techniques. By rolling on a fine foil of metal, by dipping, by welding or by casting on. Nowadays, the very durable ion plating is particularly popular. In this process, the surface is first cleaned by ion bombardment. An evaporator source vapourises the material to be plated with the desired metal. A layer is thus formed on the initial product. During this process, the metal to be plated is strongly heated. The purpose of plating, apart from changing the colour, is to give the material a higher resistance to wear.

The proper care of stainless steel

Stainless steel is absolutely easy to care for and can be cleaned quite simply with water, mild soap and a lint-free cloth. For shiny surfaces, you can use cotton wool for an even more beautiful shine. Matt surfaces that have become shiny over time can be treated with a so-called matting fleece. Of course, stainless steel jewellery can also be cleaned in an ultrasonic device.

General tips

Jewellery is an object of daily life and therefore exposed to physical and climatic influences. These influences can be transferred to the piece of jewellery and leave marks such as scratches. Previously matt surfaces can acquire traces of shine and shiny pieces of jewellery can appear matt over time. Every material from which jewellery is made can show signs of wear. These are what make the jewellery unique and thus a personal piece of jewellery.

Here you can find our stainless-steel jewellery.