What is stainless steel jewelry?

You have undoubtedly heard of it, stainless steel or stainless steel jewelry. You may even have these popular jewels in your own jewelry box. But what exactly is stainless steel? And why is it so popular? We will explain it to you.

What is stainless steel?

Stainless Steel jewelry is called stainless steel or RVS jewelry in Dutch. Stainless steel is an alloy (composition) of different metals: iron, carbon and other elements with a rust-resistant property. The composition of this material makes RVS super strong and scratch-resistant. Stainless steel is easy to wear if you have sensitive skin thanks to the very low nickel content. For these reasons, it is not surprising that stainless steel is often used to make jewelry. The words stainless steel, RVS and stainless steel can all be interchanged.

Stainless steel jewelry silver

When you are looking for a silver colored piece of jewelry, you will often come across .925 sterling silver or stainless steel. The difference between the two is mainly in the material and its properties. Read along?

The difference between silver and stainless steel

The .925 in sterling silver represents the percentage of silver that is processed in the product: 92.5%. The remaining 7.5% is supplemented with a (mix of) other metal, often copper. Pure silver (.999) is a soft and flexible material that you cannot make jewelry from. These would scratch too quickly and even break.

Silver-colored stainless steel jewelry is solid stainless steel. This means that they are made entirely of stainless steel. Stainless steel has a silver color of its own, so the material is not further processed. The silver color of stainless steel is slightly duller than that of .925 sterling silver.

Stainless steel jewelry gold

Are there no gold-colored stainless steel jewelry at all ? Fortunately, there are: the silver stainless steel forms the basis of these gold stainless steel jewelry. To apply the gold color to the jewelry, a PVD coating is used. PVD stands for Physical Vapor Deposition; a complex process in which a kind of oxidation is actually deliberately generated. The gold color is applied to the jewelry through a process of evaporation. The coating ultimately takes on the properties of the material on which it is placed, in this case the silver stainless steel base.

What are the benefits of stainless steel jewelry?

Stainless steel jewelry has become incredibly popular in recent years. This makes sense, because there are a lot of advantages to discovering stainless steel jewelry. We list the most important advantages for you:

• ♡ Because stainless steel is such a strong and scratch-free material, the jewelry will remain beautiful for years. Stainless steel is a very durable & recyclable material and therefore a good investment. Who knows, you might pass on your stainless steel jewelry to your (grand)daughter later.
  
  
• ♡ A big advantage of stainless steel jewelry: you can keep it on while showering and swimming. Unlike silver or gold-plated jewelry, you don't have to worry about discoloration, oxidation or rusting. Be careful with too much chlorine: in the long run, this can affect the jewelry.
  
  
• ♡ Do you have sensitive skin and quickly suffer from irritations or allergies? Stainless steel jewelry offers the solution. Thanks to the very low nickel content, stainless steel jewelry is hypoallergenic.
  
  
• ♡ Because stainless steel jewelry does not discolor and is made of such a strong material, it requires little maintenance. Make sure you store the jewelry neatly when you are not wearing it, and it will remain beautiful forever.
  
  
• ♡ Stainless steel jewelry is very affordable. Stainless steel is a much cheaper material than silver or gold. So you can shop for jewelry with a luxurious look very cheaply.