Short answer. Yes, for the right piece. Stainless steel is hard, light, holds its shape and does not tarnish, which makes it the best base metal there is for a cuff, a bangle or a band that gets knocked about. The gold on top is a plated layer and wears like any plated layer. What steel gives up is precious-metal value and the ability to be resized or repaired the way silver can. It costs less than sterling, so a steel piece should cost less too.
What gold over steel actually is
Stainless steel is an iron alloy with enough chromium in it, usually more than 10%, to form a thin, self-healing layer of chromium oxide on its surface. That layer is why it does not rust and does not tarnish: the metal seals itself. Jewellery steel typically also carries nickel and sometimes molybdenum in the alloy for corrosion resistance and workability.
Gold over steel is that alloy with a layer of gold electroplated onto it. The gold is real gold at the karat stated; it is a surface layer, as it is on any plated piece. The difference from gold over brass or gold over silver is entirely in what is underneath, and that difference decides how the piece behaves in year two.
What steel does well
It holds its shape. Steel is far harder than sterling silver. A steel cuff keeps its round, a hinge stays true, and a band does not go oval in a handbag. This is the reason to choose it for structural pieces.
It is lighter. Steel is less dense than sterling silver, so the same cuff in steel sits noticeably lighter on the wrist. For a wide cuff worn all day, that is a comfort, not a compromise.
It does not tarnish underneath. When the gold on a plated piece eventually wears at an edge, what shows is the base metal. On brass that is dull brown; on silver it is pale and can darken; on steel it is a bright grey that stays bright. Steel is also free of copper, which is the metal that leaves green marks on skin.
It costs less. Steel is an industrial metal. A cuff cast in it costs a fraction of the same cuff cast in sterling, and a fair price reflects that.
What steel cannot do
It has no precious-metal value. Silver and gold hold a metal value whatever happens to the finish. Steel does not.
It cannot be resized. Sterling and gold rings are cut, stretched and soldered by a jeweller as a matter of routine. Steel is too hard for that. Buy the size that fits.
A deep scratch is permanent. Silver and gold can be polished back because they are soft. Steel resists scratches better in the first place, but once it takes one, it keeps it.
The gold is still a plated layer. Sunscreen, perfume and friction age the gold on a steel cuff exactly as they age it on a silver hoop, so the piece still goes on after them. Water is where steel differs, below.
Gold over steel against gold over silver
| Gold over stainless steel | Gold over sterling silver | Sterling silver | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Base metal | Industrial alloy; hard, light | Precious metal; soft, heavier | Precious metal; soft, heavier |
| Tarnish under the gold | None | Silver darkens where exposed; polishes back | Darkens over time; a silver cloth restores it |
| When the gold wears, you see | Bright grey steel | Pale silver | Not applicable |
| Resizing | No | Yes, by a jeweller (then re-plate) | Yes, by a jeweller |
| Re-plating later | Possible, rarely worth the cost | Yes; the core is worth keeping | Not needed |
| Holds shape (cuffs, bangles) | Best | Good; can be bent out of round | Good; can be bent out of round |
| Care for the gold | Water-safe on Éternelle; rinse after the pool or the sea | Same four habits | Silver cloth is welcome here |
Does it turn skin green?
Green marks come from copper. Brass is mostly copper, and when a gold layer on brass wears through, the copper reacts with sweat and leaves a green-grey mark on the skin. Stainless steel contains no copper, so a gold-over-steel piece has nothing underneath that can do it. If a steel piece ever marks skin, the plating layer between the gold and the steel is the place to look, not the steel.
Is it waterproof?
Ours is water-safe. Éternelle, our gold over stainless steel: Water-safe: shower, gym and swim. The steel does not rust and does not tarnish, so water reaches nothing that can darken. Rinse after the pool or the sea. Chlorine and salt left to dry are what age a gold surface, and water left sitting in a hinge does the most harm, so dry the hinge properly. Every other gold piece at Amaurine is over sterling silver, and those come off before water.
Which pieces suit steel
Cuffs, bangles and bands. Anything where the job of the metal is to hold a shape against knocks and to be worn without thinking about it. A cuff opens across the wrist rather than being forced over the hand, because the edges are where a plated surface wears first; steel keeps the opening true through years of that.
Where steel is the wrong choice is anything you may want to alter later, or anything whose value should sit in the metal: a ring you might resize, a chain you might repair, a piece you want to hand on. That is what sterling and solid gold are for, and it is why a label that makes both should say plainly which is which.
How we use it
Our cuffs and bangles are 18K gold over stainless steel, at A$149. The price is the material stated plainly: steel costs less than sterling, so the piece does too. The Portique Cuff is the plain version, an adjustable band that opens across the wrist. The Corniche Ring is the same idea in a band, in 14K gold over steel, sized 7 to 9 US; the rings in the steel line are 14K and the cuffs and bangles 18K, and every page names its own karat.
The rest of the bracelets are sterling silver, with or without gold on top, and the difference is on every page. For where gold over steel sits against plated brass, gold over silver and solid gold on price and wear, read the Australian guide to gold-plated, vermeil and solid gold. The standards behind each build are on the Standards page, and the care for all of them is on the care page.
Questions
Does gold plated stainless steel tarnish?
The steel does not, and the gold does not. What can happen over time is that the gold layer wears at the edges and the bright grey steel shows through. Steel is the base metal that looks best when that happens, because it stays bright rather than darkening.
Does gold plated stainless steel turn your skin green?
No. Green marks come from copper, and brass is mostly copper. Stainless steel contains none, so there is nothing under the gold that can mark skin.
Is stainless steel jewellery waterproof?
Éternelle, our gold over stainless steel, is water-safe: shower, gym and swim. The steel does not rust or tarnish. Rinse after the pool or the sea. Dry the hinge if the piece has one.
Can a stainless steel ring be resized?
No. Steel is too hard to cut, stretch and solder the way a jeweller resizes silver or gold. Buy the size that fits, and if you are between sizes, go up.
How long does the gold last on stainless steel?
The same as on any plated piece with the same thickness of gold, and it depends on where the piece is worn. Cuffs and bangles wear at the edges and the opening first. With the habits that matter on steel (last on, first off; rinse after the pool or the sea; wipe it down; store it apart) the gold lasts years; when it does wear, steel shows bright rather than brown.
Is gold over steel better than gold over sterling silver?
Better for cuffs, bangles and bands that need to hold their shape and take knocks. Sterling is better for anything you may resize, repair or want to hold precious-metal value. They are different tools; a fair price reflects which metal you are buying.
