Many people love stainless steel for jewelry because it's strong, and doesn't tarnish or discolor. However, if you're allergic to nickel, then stainless steel may not be the best metal for you. Most types of stainless steel used in jewelry -- including surgical stainless steel -- contain approximately 8% nickel. Low-nickel forms of stainless steel do not meet the needs of the medical industry, because they lack the corrosion resistance that nickel gives to steel. If you and your customers are not allergic to nickel, then no problem -- stainless steel is a durable option for making long-lasting jewelry! Because stainless steel is harder than most metals used by jewelers, it's extra hard on tools. Use jewelry tools that are rated for use with stainless steel, or be prepared for broken tools.
Stainless Steel is the generic name for any steel alloy with a minimum of 11.5 wt% chromium. The chromium creates a very thin chromium-oxide layer on the surface of the metal, which prevents it from rusting. The advantage of stainless steels over plated steels is that, if scratched or damaged, the stainless steel 'self-repairs' as a new chromium-oxide layer is formed. Other metals are added to the alloy to give the steel other properties, such as strength and malleability. For more information about stainless steel and other metals used in jewelry, see our Jewelry-Making Materials page.
Looking for allergy-friendly metals? See our 2013 Surgical Steel and Hypoallergenic Metals blog article for a full discussion of this topic, plus links to great earring material options for people with metal allergies.
