There is nothing more distressing than buying expensive jewelry only to find out that it is causing your skin to react.
However, the safest thing to do is to know if the jewelry you choose, even if it is expensive, is hypoallergenic.
Please also note that we have different styles and types of stainless steel jewelry. Therefore, depending on the type, you cannot be sure if it is hypoallergenic or not.
What does hypoallergenic mean?
If you often develop skin sensitivity to some jewelry, you must know what hypoallergenic jewelry is.
Simply put, hypoallergenic jewelry means that the jewelry does not cause any skin irritation, or that allergic reactions are minimized.
Please note that the term hypoallergenic does not always mean nickel-free, although some people want to use it interchangeably.
Sometimes, a jeweler may say it is hypoallergenic, but it still contains nickel. Remember, nickel is a major cause of skin irritation.
Important metals do not contain elements that cause skin irritation, but not all of them are that good. Here we are going to find out if stainless steel is hypoallergenic.
Is stainless steel hypoallergenic?
You see, if you are going to buy high quality stainless steel jewelry, then you can be sure that it will be hypoallergenic. Such a piece is ideal to use when you have sensitive skin.
Generally speaking, you will find that stainless steel contains different elements and metals. They have steel, iron and chromium and they also have a certain percentage of nickel.
Zinfu will make sure that the amount of steel they use is minimal. However, some brands use a lot of nickel, which means that you are prone to allergies.
In most cases, we use 430 Stainless Steel to keep you are safe from the effects of nickel. In some cases, we can use 316L stainless steel, which contain only 1% nickel.
Breakdown of the different types of stainless steel
If you just want to learn about the different grades of stainless steel, we can also give you a full disclosure of all the stainless steels commonly used in commerce and their grade characteristics.
304 Stainless Steel
This could be the most popular kind of stainless steel, but you will also find it being used in the kitchen. Such stainless steel, though, will contain about 10.5% nickel and carbon.
The best part is that it's corrosion-resistant. But we encourage you not to use it if you have nickel sensitivity.
304L Stainless Steel
Another one of the most popular stainless steel metals is this alloy. Here you have it with more nickel but less carbon. It has about 12% nickel, and it's therefore famous for its durability.
430 Stainless Steel
This is one of the very best choices ever as it contains less than 0.5% nickel, which makes it very safe for those who are nickel sensitive. This type of stainless steel meets the EU compliance regulations.
Surgical Steel
You probably have heard of this type of stainless steel. This is the stainless steel with the perfect properties you need when using the metal for surgical reasons.
It's not necessarily the better grade of stainless steel, but it's a safer one for implants. It's ideal for those times when you need to make body jewels.
316 and 316L Stainless Steel
You have most likely heard of this, too, as it's one of the common choices to use. This one often contains lesser carbon but also lesser nickel remembers. You will commonly find people using it in jewels.
Now you know that the above stainless steel types are great, but they will mostly contain nickel but in the lowest quantities; therefore, you make sure you can choose the one that’s safe to work with.
Do all the stainless steel have a nickel?
Of course, they do have, as you have seen above. Just the difference is that different grades of stainless steel contain different amounts of nickel; some contain only a small percentage of nickel metal.
Nickel can reduces brittleness, it will further improve the strength of the jewelry. Also, it's easy to work with, whether under a high or low temperature.
However, the secret is to go for the higher grade options, as indicated above. Choose stainless steel 316 and 316L or above as jewelry to stay safe from being allergenic.
Leave a comment