Sterling silver vs stainless steel

What the three actually are

In a product photograph all three look like silver. They are not comparable materials, and the differences only show up after a year of wear.

Sterling silver (925)

92.5% silver alloyed with about 7.5% copper for strength. A real standard with a real number, stamped 925, and the single most valuable thing a seller can state about a piece. Solid all the way through, which is why it can be resized, soldered, repaired and polished.

Stainless steel

An iron-chromium alloy. The grades used in jewelry are usually 304 or 316L; 316L is the one worth having, with a lower free-nickel surface and better corrosion resistance. Harder than sterling, does not tarnish, and essentially cannot be resized or repaired by a conventional jeweller.

Silver plated

A base metal — brass, copper, nickel alloy — with a thin silver layer deposited on top. Looks identical when new and is a consumable. Also sold as silver tone, which usually means there is no silver involved at all.

Every piece on sterling silver states 925, and how to tell real sterling silver covers the stamps, the magnet test and the plating tells for when a listing is vague.

The comparison, honestly

The nickel question, which is usually the real question

People asking which metal is better for sensitive ears are nearly always asking about nickel. Nickel is the most common identifiable cause of metal contact dermatitis, it is more frequently diagnosed in women than men, and pierced ears are a recognised route of sensitisation — which is why earrings are where this comes up most.

Sterling silver contains no nickel: the alloying metal is copper. That makes solid 925 a reasonable default for someone with a known nickel sensitivity, and it is why the earrings on this page are all stated 925 rather than silver-tone. Stainless steel does contain nickel, though 316L is formulated so that very little is free at the surface, and many nickel-sensitive people wear it without trouble. Plated jewelry is the genuine problem: the layer that keeps the nickel away from skin is the layer designed to wear off.

The copper in sterling has its own well-known side effect, and it is cosmetic rather than allergic — it is what turns a finger green. That is a reaction between copper, sweat and whatever is on your skin, not a sign the piece is fake, and how to keep sterling silver from tarnishing covers what to do about it. If a reaction is itchy, raised or spreading rather than a green mark, that is a question for a doctor and not for a jewellery page.

Which to buy, by situation

• A gift, and you want it to matter in ten years. Sterling. It is repairable, resizable and has real material value, which means it can be kept rather than replaced.
• A ring and you are not certain of the size. Sterling, without hesitation. A steel ring in the wrong size is a wrong-size ring forever. Handmade rings has the method for finding a size without asking.
• Earrings for someone with a nickel sensitivity. Solid 925, stated. Not plated, not silver tone, not unspecified.
• Someone hard on their jewellery — trades, gym, water. Steel is the honest answer here, and it is the one case where the handmade option is genuinely narrower. Studio makers work in silver because silver is workable at the bench.
• Someone who will never polish anything. Steel, or sterling with the storage habit from the care guide. Tarnish is not damage, but it does need a cloth occasionally.
• A stone you want set properly. Sterling. A setting that can be soldered can be tightened later, which matters more than people expect. Handmade necklaces and handmade earrings are the rest of the range.

Why this site stocks almost no steel

It is worth saying plainly rather than pretending the selection is neutral. Sterling silver is the metal independent makers actually work in, because it can be cut, hammered, soldered and finished at a bench with hand tools. Stainless steel is hard to work by hand and is most economically produced by machining, so most steel jewellery on any marketplace is factory output, however it is described.

That makes sterling the natural material for a site built around identifiable makers — and it also means that when a steel piece is the right answer for the way someone lives, the honest thing to do is say so rather than steer them to silver. What handmade actually means covers where that line sits, and spotting resold mass production covers how factory output gets relabelled.