Most jewelry brands would rather you didn’t ask what their pieces are actually made of. We’re the opposite. This is the straight-talk guide to every material we use, why we chose it, and the tiny habits that keep it looking new for years. No myths, no “never tarnishes” fairy tales — just what’s true. Press start.
The metals we build with
316L stainless steel (our workhorse)
Most of our everyday pieces are built from 316L stainless steel, the same surgical- and marine-grade steel used in medical tools and gear that has to survive saltwater. It’s corrosion-resistant, genuinely durable, and hypoallergenic for the vast majority of people. Translation: you can shower in it, sweat in it, and forget you’re wearing it, and it won’t rust, flake, or turn your skin green. The silver-steel color is the metal itself, top to bottom — there’s no coating to wear off.
Gold-tone: real plating over a solid base
Our gold-tone pieces are gold-plated over a stable core (typically 316L stainless steel), which gives you that warm gold glow without solid-gold pricing. Here’s the honest catch we’ll never hide from you: plating is a surface layer, and surface layers wear. With good care, a quality gold-plated finish typically holds up for roughly 6 to 24 months before it starts to thin at high-contact points. Anyone promising plating that “never wears off” is selling a fairy tale. The upside of a 316L base is that even when the gold mellows, the metal underneath is still strong and corrosion-resistant — not mystery pot-metal.
The honest nickel truth
You’ll see “hypoallergenic” plastered across the whole jewelry industry, and a lot of people read that as “zero nickel.” Those are not the same thing, and we’d rather tell you straight.
316L stainless steel does contain a small amount of nickel — but it’s tightly bound into the alloy and stays put, which is exactly why it’s considered hypoallergenic and why most people with sensitive skin wear it happily with no reaction. So the honest line: 316L is hypoallergenic and a safe bet for the vast majority of people. It is not technically “nickel-free.” If you have a diagnosed, severe nickel allergy, take that seriously — patch-test a small area first, or check with your dermatologist. We’d rather earn your trust with the nuance than lose it with a marketing lie.
How to keep every piece looking new
The good news: our materials are low-maintenance, not no-maintenance. A few tiny habits do almost all the work.
- Keep it dry. Water is the accelerant for nearly every jewelry problem — tarnish, worn plating, green skin. Take pieces off before the shower, the pool, and the ocean. Chlorine and salt water are especially rough.
- Jewelry goes on last. After lotion, perfume, sunscreen, and hairspray have dried down — never before. Those products are corrosion fuel, especially for plated finishes.
- Wipe it down. A quick pass with a soft, dry cloth after a sweaty day removes the residue that would otherwise sit there reacting overnight. Thirty seconds, done.
- Clean it occasionally. Warm water, a drop of mild soap, a soft cloth or soft toothbrush, then dry it fully. That’s the entire ritual for stainless steel.
- Store it dry and separate. A little pouch or a lined box beats a humid bathroom shelf. Tossing everything in one tangled pile lets pieces scratch each other’s finish — which creates the exact bare spots that react.
Quick reference by material
- Solid 316L stainless steel: The set-it-and-forget-it choice. Water- and sweat-resistant, keeps its color forever, needs almost nothing. Wipe and occasional wash.
- Gold-plated (over 316L): The one to baby a little. Keep it away from perfume, lotion, and pools, and store it dry to stretch the finish toward the longer end of its 6–24 month life.
- Chrome & holographic finishes: Love the same gentle treatment — dry, off before water, wiped after wear. Treat the shine kindly and it treats you back.
What we will (and won’t) promise
We won’t tell you any piece on earth will never react with any skin under any conditions, because that’s not true and skin chemistry is wildly personal. What we will say: build your everyday rotation around 316L stainless steel and quality gold plating over a stable base, keep your pieces dry, and store them with a little care — and the usual jewelry headaches basically stop being your problem. That’s the whole game: the right materials plus a few small habits.
Want to go deeper? Read our full breakdown of why 316L stainless steel is good for jewelry, or the fix for jewelry that turns your skin green. Ready to shop pieces built to be lived in? Explore the Cyber Y2K collection or the full jewelry lineup. Wear the 90s — and keep it looking new.