Does Stainless Steel Jewelry Rust
No, stainless steel jewelry does not rust. It comes with a thick chromium coating which protects it from scratches and any sort of harmful chemicals like bleach and detergents. It never allows external agents to pass through this coating and rust iron beneath this chromium coating. So, you can easily wear it without having any issues of rust or corrosion.
In this article we’ll explore does stainless steel jewelry rust, can it rust in any situation and how can you protect stainless steel jewelry.
Why Stainless Steel does not Rust?
Stainless steel is a combination of iron and carbon with a thick coating of chromium metal. Although it does contain iron which can rust, but this thick chromium coating protects iron beneath the layer. The chromium coating’s weight is about 10 percent of the total weight of the metal. This means that it is pretty thick and will be able to save the metal inside.
This way stainless steel can easily survive even extreme damages like chemicals, deep scratches and water.
Can Stainless Steel Rust in Any Situation?
Stainless steel cannot rust unless outer chromium layer get so much damaged, that it is unable to protect the metal. Technically, it can happen but cases are very rare. Chromium layer can only be damaged by regular contact with extreme harsh chemicals. Only one of those is bleach that can be found in houses. Otherwise, none of the chemical can totally damage this layer.
So, if you don’t deal with such chemicals, there is no chance of rusting of your stainless steel jewelry. However, regular contacts with chemicals like bleach and detergents can impact the overall appearance of the metal.
Does Stainless Steel Corrode or Tarnish?
No, stainless steel never corrodes or tarnishes. This makes it extremely durable. In fact, it is the most durable and hypoallergenic metal you can buy in low budget category. Tarnish comes due to a metal having a significant amount of copper in it. As stainless steel does not have any copper quantity, it never tarnishes.
When it comes to corrosion, stainless steel provides extreme resistance as well. Corrosion happens when a metal reacts with atmospheric oxygen to undergo oxidation. Fortunately, stainless steel’s chromium coating never allows inner metal to react with oxygen. So, no chance of rust.
Other Benefits of Stainless Steel Jewelry
Apart from non-tarnishing and anti-rust properties, stainless steel also provides many other benefits.
1. Affordable
Affordability is the main selling point of stainless steel. It is very affordable compared to other premium metals like silver, gold and platinum. The number of features it can provide like non-tarnishing, non-corrosion and resistance against scratches are just a no match. No metal in the market provides that much features in low budget.
You can easily get stainless steel jewelry for as low as $30 to $40. Only con that can trouble buyers is the heaviness of stainless steel.
2. White Appearance
People often love white metals including white gold, platinum and silver. Stainless steel has a white bright appearance due to its chromium coating. Chromium is a highly reflective metal that is often used in cars to make them appear shiny. That’s why stainless steel appears lustrous. This can be a great feature for ones who want white metal but don’t have a big budget. They can easily buy stainless steel jewelry as an alternative.
3. Low Maintenance
Stainless steel requires pretty low level of maintenance where jewelry owners are required to only clean jewelry once a month. For regular users, who don’t have a lot of time for cleaning can be a great feature. It is a great option for those who are looking for jewelry that can be worn on daily basis and is low maintenance requiring one. With regular use, you can clean stainless steel jewelry once a month. However, this time can be more than a month if you don’t wear it regularly.
Contrary, silver requires not only regular cleaning but also tarnish removing cleaning which has to be performed at least once a month for maintaining shine. This does not only increase maintenance cost but also maintenance time.
4. Durability
Stainless steel is a highly durable metal which does not only resist corrosion and rust, but also scratches and damages like dents. In fact, it is more durable than most of the premium metals including gold, silver and rhodium. These premium metals can be easily scratched or damaged by falling, however stainless steel gets minimal damage. This feature is great for ones who don’t want to take too much care of their jewelry and want to move freely.
How to Clean Stainless Steel Jewelry
Stainless steel jewelry just needs regular cleaning once a month. Extensive tarnish removing processes are just not needed.
1. Soap
Soap is a gentle and safe way of cleaning jewelry. All you have to do is to drop some drops of soap in a bowl of warm water. Then place jewelry in it for 10 to 20 minutes. Try to scrub it with fingers or you can use a soft toothbrush. Once all dirt is removed, take out jewelry and rinse with clean water. This will take out all dirt particles and make your jewelry appear like a new one.
2. Commercial Cleaners
Commercial jewelry cleaners are a great alternative of soap. These chemicals are specifically designed for this purpose. Their gentle but firm action does its work exceptionally well. Procedure of cleaning is almost the same as with the soap. Only in this action, soap is replaced by the cleaner.
3. Baking Soda
Baking soda is a household chemical that is found in every kitchen. Though it is not the best method among all, it can work good. Method for cleaning with baking soda is simple. Take a bowl of warm water and dip your jewelry in it. After 5 minutes, take out jewelry and start applying baking soda on jewelry. You can use a soft clean toothbrush for scrubbing. Once all dirt is removed, rinse jewelry with clean water. Only con of this method is that cleaning of baking soda will not be as good as of commercial cleaners.
Note that never use this method for expensive jewelry like gold. Fine jewelry is expensive and these household experiment should not applied on it.
Common FAQ’s about Stainless Steel
Here are some FAQ’s about stainless steel.
1. Is Stainless Steel Hypoallergenic?
Yes, stainless steel is completely hypoallergenic. There are some types which can be non-hypoallergenic but no reputable seller use it. It is better to first confirm with the jeweler what kind of stainless steel are they selling.
2. What are alternatives of stainless steel in low budget?
There are no alternatives of stainless steel in low budget which can provide as much feature as stainless steel.
3. What sort of damage can you expect from harsh chemicals?
Regular contact with harsh chemicals will make stainless steel appear dull.
4. Which cleaning method is best?
Using commercial jewelry cleaners is the best method for cleaning jewelry.
Conclusion
Stainless steel is one of the rarest metal of its kind that does not rust, corrode or tarnish. Apart, it is highly affordable which makes it one of the best metal for jewelry in low budget. Other benefits of stainless steel include affordability and white appearance. Stainless steel jewelry also requires low maintenance which makes cleaning a very easy task. Most common of cleaning methods are using soap, commercial cleaners or baking soda. However, baking soda is not a good choice for cleaning as it is not specifically designed for this purpose.