Stainless steel jewellery is made from a corrosion-resistant iron alloy, most often the grade known as 316L, which does not tarnish, rarely causes skin reactions and survives water and sweat far better than plated brass. Rajkot makers can supply some steel pieces, but the cluster is built around brass, copper and alloy casting with plating, and most of the world's volume steel jewellery is made in China.
That is worth knowing before you plan a range. A steel collection and a Rajkot fashion collection are usually two different supply chains.
Why buyers like steel
- It does not tarnish or change colour in normal wear.
- It can be worn in the shower, at the gym and on the beach.
- Gold-tone steel is usually coated by PVD (physical vapour deposition), which is harder wearing than conventional electroplating.
- The grade 316L is widely used and generally passes the EU nickel release test for skin contact, because its nickel is bound in the alloy.
Why it is harder to make
Steel is much harder than brass. It cannot be cast as easily in the small workshops that dominate Rajkot, it wears out tools faster, and it needs laser cutting, CNC machining, stamping with heavy presses or investment casting at higher temperatures. Polishing steel to a mirror finish also takes more time and equipment.
Because of this, steel jewellery suits factories that run large volumes of fairly simple designs: chains, rings, bangles, tags and minimalist pendants. Rajkot's advantage is the opposite: intricate, ornate designs in small batches.
What Rajkot can realistically offer
- Some workshops make or finish steel pieces, often simple rings, kadas and chains.
- Steel findings such as earring posts can be combined with brass or alloy fronts, which is useful for hypoallergenic earrings.
- Mixed collections where the heavy, ornate pieces are brass and a few basics are steel.
Questions to ask a steel supplier
- Which grade is used, and can you show a mill certificate or an XRF reading?
- Is the gold colour PVD or electroplated, and how thick is it?
- Has the piece passed an EN 1811 nickel release test, and for skin contact or piercing?
- Is any part, such as a clasp or jump ring, made of a different metal?
What this means for a buyer
If your range is mostly minimalist steel, India may not be the cheapest source, and we will tell you so. If you want ornate Indian styles with a few steel basics, combining them can work. Creston & Co works for buyers only, for a fixed fee agreed in writing: we check whether a workshop really makes what it offers, have samples tested at NABL-accredited labs and supervise packing. Start with a free sourcing review.