Generally, stainless steel jewelry can withstand several years without having much difference in appearance. However, it also depends upon the plating process used while manufacturing the jewelry. Some common methods are PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) and electroplating.
In PVD, the layers are deposited atom by atom in a vacuum chamber onto a solid surface. The layers can be from one atom to a millimeter thick. There may be several layers of different materials. The thickness of 0.25 to 0.7 microns is commonly referred to an as thin film and is very common in the jewelry and watch industry.
PVD coating on jewelry has a thickness of 0.20 to 0.28 microns. It is very rare to find jewelry made of 0.7 microns coated steel (some top brands use 0.350.5 microns) as the price change is not proportional to the difference in thickness.
Some types of PVD coating methods are given below:
Inexpensive jewelry with a thin coating of precious metal has probably witnessed the final effect of electroplating. It is an electrochemical reaction used to apply a thin metal coating to an object.
The electroplating process is quite simple. First, a negative charge is placed on the object to be coated. The item is then immersed in a metal saline solution that will be used to laminate the item.
The choice between PVD and electroplating depends on your preferences and budget, as well as many of the factors mentioned above.
If you are making jewelry that will usually be cheaper, electroplating may be the best option. High-end jewelry requires a stronger, more durable, and corrosion-resistant coating. In that case, PVD plating is the right choice because the cost of PVD coating is higher.
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