Stainless Steel: How Does Gold and Silver Plated Jewelry React it, and Vice Versa?
Gold-plated, silver-plated, and stainless steel jewelry are popular options for those who like to jazz up their outfits with stylish accessories. They look stunning and up your fashion quotient, transforming any outfit with little effort. In fact, just switching up your jewelry can make the same outfit look completely different!
While people usually wear gold and silver plated jewelry on its own, layering jewelry is quite trendy, and you may also consider layering the different metals for a blended look.
However, you may want to know how these different metals can react to each other before you start mixing up your jewelry.
We’ve covered everything you should know below!
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What is Gold Plated Jewelry?
Gold-plated jewelry refers to a piece of metal jewelry layered with liquid gold. This layer is extremely thin and doesn’t require much gold, making it more affordable than jewelry made of real gold.
Gold-plated jewelry can have any base metal- sterling silver being the popular choice, but stainless steel or brass is also common.
What is Silver Plated Jewelry?
Similar to gold-plated jewelry, silver-plated jewelry refers to any jewelry with a base metal, such as stainless steel, copper, or brass, coated in a very thin layer of sterling silver.
Tsilver-plated jewelry can be coated with a tarnish-resistant layer to reduce the risk of scratches, discoloration, and damage.
Why is Stainless Steel Such a Popular Metal For Jewelry?
Stainless steel jewelry has become an affordable and durable alternative to jewelry made from traditional metals such as gold or silver.
It owes its popularity to several factors:
- Sustainability - stainless steel is non-degradable and completely recyclable. Furthermore, its carbon footprint during manufacture and processing is also negligible
- It is a hypoallergenic metal that is safe for sensitive, irritation-prone skin
- Non-corrosive, rustproof, and tarnish-resistant, stainless steel is a very durable material with low maintenance
- The metal can be molded and crafted in all kinds of designs and styles, making it a very versatile option
- It has a low manufacturing cost, making it an affordable alternative that looks just as classy and stunning as other metals
- It can be plated with a gold or silver coating to give it an expensive, luxurious finish at a relatively low cost
Why is Rhodium Used in Silver Plated and Stainless Steel Jewelry?
Rhodium helps to create a reflective surface and adds a protective layer to silver-plated jewelry. It belongs to the platinum metal family and is harder and stronger than gold. This enables the rhodium coating to provide a scratch and tarnish-resistant protective layer over any jewelry.
Rhodium can also be used on stainless steel to make it look more expensive and luxurious, elevating a piece of stainless steel jewelry while maintaining its affordability.
What Happens if You Wear Gold or Silver Plated Jewelry With Stainless Steel Jewelry?
Gold or silver-plated jewelry often has another relatively cheaper or more affordable metal as its base layer. The gold and silver plating is then applied on top of this base metal to give it the appearance of a solid gold or silver piece of jewelry.
This can make it prone to tarnishing, getting scratched or damaged, or the plating worn off over time, especially if layered or mixed with other jewelry.
Stainless steel jewelry may not tarnish or get worn out, but if layered with gold or silver-plated jewelry, it can cause the plating to deteriorate. Therefore, when mixed and matched, the two types of jewelry may not react well to each other.
However, this is not always the case. It depends on the quality of the gold or silver plating applied to the jewelry in question and whether there is a protective coating of another metal, such as rhodium, used to ensure longevity.
In the case of Artizan jewelry, each piece has been specifically created to ensure maximum durability and long life. Since every piece of jewelry is designed to be layered, it is adequately protected to ensure that the gold or silver plating doesn’t wear off easily. The different jewelry pieces can be layered together without any hassles, as they can withstand the friction caused when they are placed together.
Is Gold or Silver Plated Stainless Steel Jewelry a Good Option?
Gold or silver plating can be applied to several different metals. Of these, stainless steel is amongst the best options available. This is because stainless steel is highly sturdy, durable, affordable, and hypoallergenic.
What this means is that you don't have to worry if you have a lower budget or sensitive skin that reacts badly to other metals. You can still enjoy deccking up in fancy jewelry that makes you feel like a million bucks, without any of the concerns that come with other metals!
It also requires relatively less upkeep as stainless steel is a very low-maintenance metal. Furthermore, it looks like authentic silver to the naked eye, which is excellent for silver-plated jewelry. If you do manage to damage the silver plating, nobody will be able to tell because the stainless steel underneath will blend in flawlessly.
Another great thing is that because the overall cost is lower compared to precious metals, stainless steel jewelry is excellent for those looking to invest in accessories, not valuables.
You can buy several pieces of stainless steel jewelry that are gold/silver- plated to look luxurious and amp up your fashion quotient without burning a hole in your pocket!
Final Thoughts
Stainless steel is a fantastic metal, especially when it comes to jewelry. It offers several benefits and is also incredibly versatile. After all, if you don’t like the appearance of plain stainless steel, you have the option for rhodium, silver, or gold plating to perfectly suit your style.
Stainless steel is completely transforming the world of accessories and jewelry. It offers jewelry options that are functional, stylish, and comfortable. And since you don't have to worry about the pieces reacting with gold or silver-plated Artizan jewelry, you can really layer it on!
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