Jeweller - November Issue 2017
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WHITE METALS<br />
PETER W BECK<br />
STEEL APPEAL<br />
Stainless steel is also no stranger in the white metals family, having<br />
established its own foothold in jewellery retail stores several years ago.<br />
Like sterling silver, Roberts believes that confusion exists regarding the<br />
properties of stainless steel.<br />
What are the major misconceptions surrounding the metal?<br />
“That stainless steel is more of an industrial metal for construction<br />
rather than jewellery,” Roberts responds.<br />
He adds that 316L is the only grade that should be used for jewellery,<br />
explaining that 304 is a thinner grade that is cheaper and inferior in<br />
quality compared to 316L.<br />
Tilia, who also distributes Dyrberg/Kern jewellery, says stainless steel<br />
has many selling points that retailers should be promoting during<br />
sales conversations.<br />
“Stainless steel is a very hard, strong and durable metal alloy with<br />
a content of iron and chrome,” she states, adding, “Stainless steel<br />
undergoes a number of processes, which make it practically scratch<br />
free and resistible to corrosion and oxidation.”<br />
Part of this process is a ‘top coat’, or ion plating, that prevents oxidation.<br />
“Ion plating is one of the most advanced surface finishing processes<br />
on the market – it is carried out in a vacuum environment and makes<br />
the top plating more durable and resistant,” she says.<br />
“The greatest advantage of the ion plating process is that the surface<br />
created is both harder and chemically more stable than that produced<br />
through traditional wet plating methods.”<br />
While such factors are arguably selling points for stainless steel, Ken<br />
Abbott, managing director of Qudo local distributor Timesupply,<br />
believes its properties aren’t the only reasons consumers are drawn<br />
to the metal.<br />
“Stainless steel is a widely accepted metal for fashion jewellery but<br />
it is of course the strength of the design element that will make it a<br />
desirable purchase,” Abbott explains, adding, “The way the design looks<br />
and appeals is more important to the consumer than the fact it is<br />
made from stainless steel.”<br />
Indeed, selecting a white metal is not a question of determining which<br />
one is better than the other but rather which one suits a consumer’s<br />
individual needs.<br />
Each metal in this family brings different attributes and benefits and<br />
it will be one white-hot summer once retailers master this. i
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