Why Choose Stainless Steel Jewelry?

One of my biggest pet peeves is buying cute jewelry only to have it tarnish and turn my skin green! Can you relate?

I always struggled to find jewelry that was durable and didn't break the bank. I didn't realize that much of the jewelry I bought was gold plated brass. Brass is great for accommodating intricate designs, but not the best for corrosion. 

Brass is an alloy containing zinc and copper. When exposed to air and humidity the dezincification process can occur, therefore, leaving the copper to have an oxidation reaction. The copper reacts with oxygen in the air with the sweat and oils on your skin, creating a green layer of copper carbonate.  

The best tip I can give your for brass jewelry is to create a barrier between the jewelry and the skin, and always remove before contacting water and before bed.  

Or maybe you're like me and just proud of yourself for making your bed in the morning and don't want the added responsibilities of maintaining brass jewelry... then you may want to consider ... 

(drum roll please)...

stainless steel jewelry!

Stainless steel is an affordable metal and contains a layer of chromium to prevent oxidation. What does that mean exactly? It means you can wear it on the beach without any problems! It also is scratch resistant due the hardness of the metal.  Woo whoo!!

The downside is that stainless steel can be hard to weld, so for unique crystal pieces I use 925 Sterling Silver to maintain durability (more on that later). 

But with stainless steel jewelry being comparable in price to brass jewelry, the only real cost to you is that embarrassing green finger!