Everyone loves wearingjewelry, especially when it’s made out of stainless steel. That isn’t asurprise because stainless steel is cheaper, but it’s durable and can undergosome wear and tear. However, even though it’s durable, people are still askingquestions such as whether jewelry made of stainless steel tarnish or isstainless steel waterproof? Those are some great questions and people shouldknow whether their jewelry will last for a long time and how to take care ofit. So, let’s see how durable this metal is.
Does Stainless Steel Rust?
Generally, jewelry made outof this metal does not tarnish. However, it’s not indestructible. Yes, you canwear your stainless steel jewelry all the time and every day, but it’s eventuallygoing to get some scratches and stains because of the constant wear and tear.Also, just like anything else, stainless steel can rust, but it depends on theenvironment. But, stainless steel jewelry will take much longer to rust thanany other jewelry, but it can also depend on a lot of things.
Stainless steel which isused in the production of jewelry is an alloy of nickel, carbon, chromium,manganese, and iron. And even though most of these metals do rust, stainlesssteel is more resistant due to chromium, which protects it. Chromium works byprotecting the metal from oxidation, so, it’s less likely to rust or tarnish,and this is why most jewelry made out of stainless steel has at least 10% ofit.
Besides having theprotective layer of chromium, there is another reason why stainless steelgenerally doesn’t rust or tarnish. This is also due to the fact that stainlesssteel develops an oxide layer when it’s exposed to air. This layer henceprotects the metal from corrosion. What is more fascinating is that even thoughthe metal gets damaged or nicked, the oxide layer will still develop and keepstainless steel tarnish under control.
However, this doesn’t meanyour jewelry is 100% safe. There are cases when even the best stainless steeljewelry will rust and tarnish. The layer of chromium in your jewelry could getdamaged or it could fail to protect your jewelry. When this happens, the othermetals found in this type of jewelry will react to oxygen and your jewelrycould lose its sparkle and start rusting.
Additionally, thedurability of your stainless steel jewelry will also depend on the environmentyou’re exposing it to. Even though it has the protective layers, if you exposeyour jewelry to harsh conditions, they will affect the metal and causetarnishing. So, you should keep your stainless steel pieces away from seawater,because it will react.
Types of Stainless Steel Corrosion
There are six common typesof corrosion of this metal. Each one of them will depend on the environment thepiece was exposed to and how you maintain it.
General: this type ofcorrosion is a uniform loss of metal on the surface. This occurs over time andif your jewelry has a pH value of less than 1.
Galvanic: this one is alsocalled bimetallic corrosion and it occurs with electrochemical processes. Thisis when one metal corrodes more in comparison to another when there is apresence of electrolytes. However, this one is less likely to occur throughyour daily routines.
Intergranular: with this type ofcorrosion, boundaries of crystallites are more likely to corrode than theinside surfaces of a piece. It occurs if your stainless steel is exposed tohigh temperatures, approximately 842-1562 degrees Fahrenheit. But, this isanother situation that is less likely to occur during your regular day.
Pitting: pitting is localizedcorrosion that occurs in cavities or holes of your jewelry. This one occurswhen your pieces are exposed to chlorine, so don’t wear your stainless steeljewelry when at the pool.
Crevice: another one thatis localized, crevice corrosion occurs at the crevice between two joiningsurfaces on your jewelry. It can be formed between two metals, and even betweenmetal and non-metal.
Stress corrosion cracking: thiscorrosion refers to growth of crack formation in a corrosive setting. Thismeans that tensile stresses when combined with the corrosive environment whichleads to cracking.
Can You Shower With Stainless Steel Jewelry?
This is one of the mostoften asked questions. And the answer is yes. Stainless steel shower resistanceis very high and you can easily wear it while showering. What is more jewelrymetals that don’t tarnish under shower water also include gold, platinum,silver, etc. However, stainless steel is not only resistant to shower water; itcan also withstand rain and many other liquids. So if you accidentally get itwet, all you have to do is dry it thoroughly.
On the other hand, ifyou’re planning to go to the swimming pool this summer, think twice before youwear your jewelry. Pool water is highly chlorinated and it may be harsh on yourstainless steel jewelry. So, before you jump into the pool, remove your jewelsand avoid causing a reaction and tarnishing them.
How Tarnished Can Stainless Steel Get?
Stainless steel jewelry ispopular and famous because of its durability. It lasts long and, like the veryname says it, it gets tarnished and stained harder than other metals. Yes, youcan use it in your bath, you can wear it everywhere and all the time, but itwill eventually get tarnished if it has gone through some serious “traumas”.Also, if the quality of a stainless steel piece is lower, it will be more proneto tarnishing.
However, this doesn’t meanyou have to get paranoid about tarnishing. Yes, you need to be a bit morecareful about the environment you’re exposing it to, but if it does gettarnished, stainless steel is easy to clean. That’s one of the many beauties ofthis metal. You can easily clean it with some soap and warm water, baking sodaor simply taking it to the professional cleaner if it’s too damaged andtarnished. There is no need to worry, your stainless steel pieces are bound tolast, and there are easy fixes if something goes wrong.
