Care Instructions
316L stainless steel is about as low-maintenance as jewellery gets. It does not tarnish, it does not need polishing, and it does not care about sweat. The whole routine is four lines.
The whole routine
- Take it off before swimming, the gym and the shower.
- Wipe it with the cloth in the tin when it looks dull.
- No ultrasonic cleaners.
- Do not spray perfume or aftershave onto it — spray first, put the piece on second.
That is genuinely it. If someone tells you steel jewellery needs a special solution, they are selling you a special solution.
Why those four
Chlorine and salt water will not corrode 316L, but they will dull a PVD gold finish faster than anything else in ordinary life. Steel pieces survive the pool. Gold ones age in it.
The gym is about impact rather than sweat. Sweat is harmless. A dumbbell against a clasp is not.
Ultrasonic cleaners are fine for the metal and bad for the finish. They work by cavitation, which is exactly the kind of micro-abrasion a coating does not enjoy.
Perfume and aftershave contain alcohols and oils that sit on a coating and dull it over months. It is the most common cause of a gold finish going flat, and the easiest to avoid.
Cleaning it properly
Warm water, a drop of unscented dish soap, a soft toothbrush for the links. Rinse, then dry completely with the cloth from your tin — drying matters more than washing. Do not put it away damp.
Engraved pieces
No difference. The engraving is cut into the metal rather than printed onto it, so it cannot wear off. Debris can collect in the cut over time; the toothbrush handles it.
Storing it
In the tin. That is what it is for. Steel against steel in a drawer is how pieces pick up scratches.
If something goes wrong
Tarnishing, fading, discolouration or clasp failure inside 12 months is covered by the Valor Promise. Email us with your order number and some photographs and we will sort it out.