Why does stainless steel jewellery require vacuum plating?

Stainless steel jewellery looks attractive even without plating, so why is vacuum plating necessary? The reason is that vacuum plating enhances the user experience, improves the appearance, prolongs colour retention and helps capture market share.

Electroplating methods for stainless steel jewellery include barrel plating and vacuum nano-ion plating. In a diverse market, there are a wide variety of demands, and the electroplating process used by jewellery manufacturers depends on whether the stainless steel jewellery is aimed at the high, medium or low-end market. Different electroplating methods yield varying results, such as the depth of colour, degree of lustre and colour retention time after plating.

In the case of stainless steel jewellery manufactured for export, the primary target market is European consumers. Due to differences in environmental conditions, European perspiration is relatively more acidic than that of Asians, which accelerates the rate of surface corrosion on jewellery. Therefore, when catering to customers in the European market, stainless steel jewellery manufacturers must employ vacuum electroplating for their products, with a plating layer thickness of approximately 0.1 micrometres to ensure the jewellery retains its colour and offers superior quality.