When a piece of jewelry is designed to be made by welding two different metals together, the electrolytes and extreme temperatures in the manufacturing process may cause bimetallic, crevice or intergranular corrosion to develop respectively between two metals, the joining surfaces or the boundaries of crystallites, which will increase the risk of rust or tarnish.

What’s more, heavy makeup, sweat or natural oil from our body may also react with the stainless steel, especially the nickel inside, and contribute to tarnish or rust. For instance, the cavities or holes of the stainless jewelry may suffer pitting corrosion, contributing to the loss of its sparkle. Otherwise, the protective oxide film may be affected by high chlorides like salt or high moisture in the environment. However, if you live in tropical areas or are keen on playing in the sea or on the beach, it’s better not to always wear them. Apart from the layer of chromium, the stainless steel can also develop a protective oxide film in the air to help protect against oxidation, making them far away from rust or tarnish. The scratches or damages may expose the inner metals to contact with oxygen and other conditions and result in rust or tarnish. However, this layer of chromium may fail to work over time if you 24/7 wear it from rushing to a train station in the morning to showering at night and sleeping on the bed, or on occasions when your stainless steel jewelry kisses other metal jewelry or abrasive cleaners. Typically, the stainless steel used in making jewelry has at least 10% chromium to protect the other metals like nickel, carbon, manganese and iron in the alloy from rust or tarnish. Here we listed 3 common factors that can cause stainless steel tarnish or rust: Stainless steel is no exception, though it’s armed with a layer of chromium to protect against corrosion and may take a long time to develop rust and tarnish.

More Information on Types of Stainless Steel Does Stainless Steel Rust or Tarnish and the Causing FactorsĪnything may rust or tarnish over time due to its materials or exposure to different environments.

How to Care for Your Stainless Steel Jewelry?.♽oes Stainless Steel Rust or Tarnish and the Causing Factors In this article, we’ll explore these questions in detail. But do stainless steel jewelry tarnish or rust over time? When drawn by a piece of stunning stainless jewelry, many people may concern about this question as we want to keep the wishful jewelry for a long time. Stainless steel jewelry is loved and well recognized for various reasons like rich designs, less expensive, easy maintenance and high durability.

Do stainless steel necklaces tarnish