A Second Look at stainless steel jewellery

Stainless steel has been a popular material for jewellery for many years. However, when thinking of stainless steel jewellery, most people tend to imagine cheap, tacky pieces that are either too big or too shiny. Because of those reasons, stainless steel jewellery is often passed over in favour of gold, silver, and other precious metals. Nevertheless, stainless steel has a lot to offer and deserves a more scrupulous second look.

First of all the biggest benefit of stainless steel jewellery is its durability. Stainless steel is a tough metal that unlike brass and silver is resistant to scratches and tarnish. This means that your stainless steel jewellery will stay looking new for longer than other types of jewellery.

The most common Stainless steel used for jewellery (304L & 316L) contains a minimum of 16% chromium. The chromium reacts with the oxygen in the air to form a thin, protective layer on the surface of the steel known as chromium oxide. This layer prevents further oxidation (rusting) making stainless steel corrosion resistant and suitable to wear when swimming or exercising. Stainless steel is a sustainable choice for jewellery.

Aside from being resistant to scratches and therefore durable throughout the years, stainless steel is also recyclable, meaning that it can be used to create new jewellery pieces or other products after it has been used once. This makes stainless steel a sustainable choice for jewellery, as it reduces waste and helps to conserve resources.

There is also a growing trend of using stainless steel recycled from the watch industry in jewellery. These stainless steel trimmings, off-cuts, and broken parts that would otherwise be discarded are collected and fused into jewellery castings that once cleaned and polished create beautiful jewellery.

PVD coating (Physical Vapor Deposited) is a type of metal finishing that is used to protect stainless steel from scratches and corrosion. It is a more recent development than plating, and it offers several advantages over plating. Plating can wear off over time, especially if the jewellery is worn regularly. PVD coatings are much more resistant to corrosion, oxidation, scratches and general wear and tear, meaning that your coated stainless steel jewellery will last and look newer for longer In addition, stainless steel and PVD are all hypoallergenic, meaning it is unlikely that they will cause an allergic reaction. This makes stainless steel jewellery a good choice for people with sensitive skin.

When searching for easy care, durable and sustainable new accessory pieces, stainless steel is a great alternative to traditional jewellery materials like gold and silver worthy of a second look.

We are not saying that precious metal jewellery hasn't got equal advantages and neither we are saying that some of stainless steel jewellery on the market might be poorly finished and of discussable quality. “SUM of I” stainless steel jewellery range is affordable, stylish, and produced in limited edition, with high standards and sustainability in mind.