How Stainless Steel Jewelry Is Made

Melting the Steel

Stainless steel jewelry is durable and safe to wear for people with allergies. The manufacturing process is similar to jewelry made with other metals. The first step is melting the steel in a large vat. The holding talk resembles a giant pot. People who work around steel wear protective clothing and eyegear because the process is dangerous. A breathing mask is used to protect workers' lungs from the fumes. The machine mixes and heats the silver into a hot, liquid metal.

Molding

When the steel reaches the right temperature, the melting machine suctions and transports the hot liquid to another area where it can be dispensed. The heavy-duty transport system moves the silver from the melting pot to the molding station, without touching human hands. Once the metal reaches the right temperature, it needs to be poured into jewelry molds before cooling begins. Ring and necklace molds are the most common. The steel is allowed to reach room temperature in the molds. Once the molds are cool, they are transported on a conveyer belt to the next area in the process.

Baking

The next step is setting the steel. The molds are moved to a large oven, where they are baked at 450 degrees for one hour. After the jewelry has been baked, it is cooled again until it is no longer hot to the touch. Workers can easily remove the molds by hand to inspect the final product. If any flaws are detected, the steel pieces are placed in a scrap bin to be melted again. Molds are designed to create a perfect product, but sometimes a small air bubble is created. The jewelry that passes inspection is buffed, polished and placed in bins, where it is packaged and sent to stores or directly to customers.