Materials & Care — 316L Steel and 18K Gold PVD
What Monrich pieces are made of, why we chose those materials, and how to keep them looking the way they did on day one. No marketing language — just the specification.
The specification
Every Monrich piece is built on 316L stainless steel. Gold-tone pieces carry an 18K gold PVD coating, 1 to 2 microns thick. Silver-tone pieces are polished 316L with no coating at all.
- Base metal: 316L stainless steel (medical-grade, hypoallergenic)
- Gold coating: 18K gold, applied by Physical Vapour Deposition
- Coating thickness: 1–2 microns
- Nickel and copper: none in free form
- Water resistance: does not rust; safe for rain, handwashing and showering
Why 316L stainless steel
316L is the grade used for surgical implants and professional piercing jewellery. It contains molybdenum, which is what gives it its resistance to corrosion, salt and skin acids. It does not rust, it does not tarnish, and it does not turn skin green.
Most affordable men's jewellery is plated brass or zinc alloy. Both corrode from the inside once the plating wears through, which is why cheap chains go dull and blotchy within months. A 316L core cannot do that, because the metal underneath the coating is itself corrosion-proof.
What PVD actually is
Physical Vapour Deposition takes place in a vacuum chamber. Gold is vaporised and bonded to the steel at high temperature, forming a molecular bond with the surface rather than sitting on top of it.
Standard electroplating, the process behind most gold-tone jewellery, deposits roughly 0.5 microns of gold and holds it in place by electrical charge alone. It wears through at contact points within weeks or months.
Our coating is 1 to 2 microns, several times thicker, and bonded rather than deposited. In practice that means it resists scratching, sweat and daily friction for years rather than months.
Is it solid gold?
No, and we will never say otherwise. Monrich is 18K gold PVD over 316L stainless steel. We are direct about this because the distinction is the whole point: you get the colour and durability of gold on a core that cannot corrode, at a fraction of the price of solid gold — and unlike solid gold, it does not scratch or bend out of shape from ordinary wear.
Sensitive skin
If costume jewellery makes your skin itch, redden or discolour, the cause is almost always nickel. 316L contains no free nickel, and the PVD layer adds a second barrier between skin and base metal. This is the same material specification used for jewellery placed in fresh piercings.
Care
Daily
Wipe the piece with a soft dry cloth after wearing. Skin oils and sweat are the main cause of dulling, and removing them takes ten seconds.
Storage
Keep pieces in the pouch or box they arrived in. Jewellery stored loose in a drawer scratches against other jewellery — that is the most common source of surface marks.
What to avoid
Perfume, aftershave, hairspray, chlorine, salt water and household cleaning products. Apply fragrance first, then put your jewellery on. Direct chemical contact is what shortens the life of any coating.
Water
Rain, handwashing and showering are fine. We would remove pieces before swimming pools and the sea, since prolonged chlorine and salt exposure dulls any finish.
Training
Sweat does not affect the metal. We would still take rings off before lifting — it is the pressure of a bar against the band that deforms a ring, not the sweat.
How long the finish lasts
With normal wear and the care above, a 1 to 2 micron PVD coating holds its finish for years. Lifespan depends on where a piece sits on the body: a ring on a working hand meets far more friction than a chain worn under a shirt, and will show wear sooner.
If a piece arrives faulty or the finish fails prematurely, email contact@monrich.co.uk with photos. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 you are entitled to a refund, replacement or repair for six months from delivery.