Why Stainless Steel?
Stainless steel is a budget friendly alternative to gold or silver jewellery
Due to its strength, durability and resistance to rust, it requires less maintenance than other metals and should last a lifetime. It is a hard metal so will not warp, lose its shape or mark easily
There are many grades of stainless steel but the main ones used for jewellery are 201, 304 and 316L. We often get asked if our stainless steel is hypoallergenic. The term hypoallergenic simply means 'less likely to cause an allergy' so it doesn't guarantee that what you are wearing will not cause a reaction. All stainless steel contains a small amount of nickel - which is the most common cause of allergic reactions. The nickel content of the grades used in jewellery are:
- 201 contains 3.5-5.5%
- 304 contains 8-10.5%
- 316L contains 10-14%
The nickel is bonded within other elements in the alloy metal and a thin invisible layer of chromium protects the steel surface from releasing these alloys - this ensures that it does not corrode or rust and most people find they have no allergies when wearing it because of this. However, people with hypersensitive allergies are advised not to wear any type of stainless steel