5 Things You Need To Know About Stainless Steel Chains

How Do You Tell If A Chain Is Made From Stainless Steel?

Stainless steel is an alloy made from chromium, iron, steel and carbon. Due to its composition it is magnetic, resistant to corrosion, abrasion and erosion and is extremely strong.

Due to the composition of metals in stainless steel often your stainless steel necklaces will be magnetic, but this depends on the concentrations of each material that make up the chain. If concentration of chromium and carbon are low whilst having higher nickel and aluminium then this test wont work. Hold a magnet to your jewellery and see if it sticks, and if it does it will likely be made from stainless steel.

Another property of stainless steel chain necklaces is that they wont rust. If your chain seems discoloured and brown try wipe the surface rust off with equal parts nitric and hydrofluoric acid, if the rust is still present then your jewellery is not made from stainless steel.

The final way to test is to just clean it with a microfibre cloth, if you notice it gets shiny and mirror-like again then its likely that its stainless steel, however if it still looks dull then your chain is not stainless steel.

Can I Shower With A Stainless Steel Chain?

Wearing a stainless steel chain in the shower is perfectly fine, being completely water resistant you can wear them whilst at the gym, in the rain or during a shower. Make sure in the shower you are using a mild shower gel, so that you don't expose your jewellery to potentially damaging chemicals. After the shower just dry your wet chain and all should be good.

Also you don't need to worry about stainless steel reacting with your skin, as it doesn't react with your skin regardless of if it's wet or not, so its completely safe to wear.

We don't recommend wearing your stainless steel chain in swimming pools as the water has a high concentration of chlorine which may be harsh on your jewellery.

Do Stainless Steel Chains Rust, Tarnish Or Turn Your Skin Green?

Majority of jewellery overtime will rust, unlike stainless steel. Chromium which is present in stainless steel forms a protective layer over the steel, preventing from rusting, tarnishing or colour changes. If your stainless steel jewellery is gold plated, then there is a chance the gold layer can tarnish and lose its colour.

How Do You Clean A Stainless Steel Chain?

Cleaning your stainless steel chain is easy, just follow these simple steps

Fill 2 bowls with warm water
Add 2 - 3 drops of mild dish soap in one of the bowls
Dip a bit of a non abrasive lint free cloth into soapy water
Rub the jewellery with the cloth, going along the grain
Use a soft bristled brush to scrub grim from any hard to reach area, going with the grain

Where Can You Buy Stainless Steel Chains?

We'll always recommend our jewellery as it is the highest of quality you can get whilst being affordable. Check out our gold plated jewellery and silver stainless steel jewellery collection.

For more information about specific types of chain necklaces check out our blog post that goes through the types of necklaces you should know about.