What Metal Is Your Jewellery Actually Made Of? How to Read the Metal Line on a Product Page
Two necklaces can look identical in a photograph and behave completely differently after six months of being worn. One keeps its shine and needs nothing. One darkens in the folds of the chain. One leaves a faint green mark on the back of a neck in a Northland summer. The difference is almost never the photograph. It is the metal underneath, and whether the product page told you what it was.
This guide is about reading that line: what the common words mean, what happens to the metals over time, and — because it would be strange to write this without applying it to ourselves — what the collections on this store state about their own metals, counted design by design, including the parts that are not flattering.
Three Different Claims a Product Page Can Make
Most confusion about jewellery metal has one source: three very different statements get written in similar-looking language, and only one is about what the piece is made of.
A material claim names the metal itself. 925, sterling silver, stainless steel, copper, brass. The number 925 is not decoration — it means 92.5 per cent silver by weight, with the remaining 7.5 per cent usually copper, which is added because pure silver is too soft to hold a shape. That figure is a recognised international standard, which is why it gets stamped on the metal rather than only typed on a page.
A colour claim names an appearance. Silver-tone, silver colour, gold-tone, rose-tone. These describe how something looks and say nothing whatsoever about what it is. A silver-tone pendant may be steel, brass, zinc alloy or something else entirely. It is not a dishonest phrase, but it is not an answer to your question.
A finish claim names a coating. Silver-plated, plated finish, vermeil. A plated piece has a thin layer of one metal deposited over a different base metal. That layer is measured in microns, and it is the layer that wears — usually first at the points that rub, such as the underside of a ring or the back of a pendant. What sits beneath the plating determines how the piece ages, and a page that mentions only the coating has not told you what that is.
So the practical rule when reading any listing, on this store or anywhere else: look for a metal noun. If the strongest word on the page is a tone or a coating, treat the base metal as unstated rather than assuming the flattering answer.
What the Collections on This Store Are Actually Made Of
Applying that rule to ourselves is uncomfortable and worth doing, because it is the thing almost no jewellery site publishes. On 8 September 2026 we read the product pages of eight collections and counted what those pages state — not what we would like to be true.
| Collection | Designs | Pages stating 925 | Other metals named on the pages | No metal stated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moss agate engagement rings | 44 | 34 (77%) | none | 10 |
| Personalised jewellery | 126 | 42 (33%) | Steel 24 · Copper 19 · Alloy 13 · Leather 6 · Brass 5 | 34 |
| Personalised necklaces | 71 | 19 (27%) | Steel 17 · Copper 12 · Alloy 8 · Brass 4 | 20 |
| Photo projection necklaces | 27 | 6 (22%) | Copper 5 · Steel 5 · Alloy 3 | 11 |
| Photo locket necklaces | 33 | 4 (12%) | Steel 12 · Copper 6 · Alloy 5 · Brass 3 | 8 |
| Photo necklaces | 58 | 6 (10%) | Steel 19 · Copper 11 · Alloy 8 · Brass 3 | 19 |
| Photo projection bracelets | 26 | 1 (4%) | Copper 5 · Steel 5 · Alloy 4 · Leather 2 · Brass 1 | 14 |
| Couple bracelets | 36 | 0 (0%) | Copper 14 · Steel 14 · Alloy 1 · Leather 1 | 8 |
Two notes on reading that table honestly. The counts in the fourth column overlap, because a page can name more than one metal — a braided bracelet with a steel clasp is counted under both. And a page that states no metal is not evidence the piece is cheap; it is evidence the page is incomplete. We will not convert those blanks into a percentage in either direction, because that would be inventing a number.
What the table does support is plain enough. The moss agate rings are mostly 925 sterling silver, and no page in that collection names a different base metal, which is why we say so on the collection itself. The couple bracelets are the opposite case: not one of the 36 product pages states 925, and the metals they do name are copper and steel, so a sentence describing that collection as silver would simply be false. The photo pieces sit in between, built largely on steel and copper. The metal for a given design is stated on its own product page, and that page is the authority, not a collection headline and not this article.
925 Sterling Silver: The Tarnish Is Reversible
Sterling silver has one well-known behaviour: it tarnishes. The dark film is silver sulphide, formed when the surface reacts with sulphur compounds in air, sweat, wool and some cosmetics. It is a surface reaction, not corrosion eating into the metal, and that distinction is the whole point — a tarnished chain is not damaged, it is dirty in a chemical sense, and a few passes with a polishing cloth bring it back.
New Zealand adds two local accelerators worth knowing about. Coastal air carries salt, which speeds the reaction along, so a piece worn daily in Raglan or the Bay of Islands will darken faster than the same piece worn in Hamilton. And sulphur is exactly what geothermal areas smell of — a weekend around Rotorua will visibly darken silver in a way that has nothing to do with quality. Take silver off before hot pools, and rinse and dry it after a swim in the sea.
Sterling silver engraves beautifully, holds fine detail and is soft enough for a jeweller to resize later. If you want a piece you can still have serviced in twenty years, it is the strongest candidate here. You can see the pieces that state it in silver jewellery, and the moss agate engagement rings start at NZ$145.90.
Stainless Steel: Nothing Happens To It, and That Is the Point
Stainless steel is an iron alloy containing chromium, and the chromium is what does the work: it forms an invisible oxide layer on the surface that repairs itself whenever it is scratched. That is why steel resists tarnish, does not need polishing, and survives showers, sea water, gym chalk and sunscreen without complaint.
The trade-offs are modest. Steel is hard, so it resists scratches but cannot be resized by most jewellers — a steel ring that does not fit has to be replaced rather than adjusted. It is denser, so a chunky steel piece feels heavier than the same shape in silver, and it takes engraving as a marked surface rather than a deep cut.
For a bracelet worn on a wrist that goes into the water, into the garden and into a wetsuit, steel is the sensible answer, which is part of why so much of the men's photo bracelet range is built around it.
Copper: It Will Darken, and It May Mark Your Skin
Copper is the metal people are most often surprised by, so it deserves the most direct description. Exposed to air and moisture, copper oxidises: first to a warmer brown, then over months towards a deeper, mottled tone. Some people love this and call it patina. Some people want the original brightness back, which a copper-safe polish or a lemon-and-salt rub will restore in minutes.
The second behaviour is the one that generates the most surprised messages. Copper reacting with the acids and salts in sweat can leave a green mark on skin. It is harmless, it washes off with soap, and how much it happens depends on your body chemistry, the weather and whether you have put lotion on. But it is real, it is more likely in a Kiwi summer than a Kiwi winter, and it is not a defect in the piece. If you know you react this way, look for a page that states steel or 925 rather than copper, or choose a design worn over clothing rather than against the skin.
Copper is warm-toned, takes a rose finish well and costs far less than silver — which is why it appears so often in photo and projection designs, where the interest is in the image rather than the metal. The photo projection bracelets start at NZ$68.90, and copper and stainless steel are the two most commonly named metals across that range, at five designs each.
Brass and Alloy: One Names a Metal, the Other Names a Category
Brass is copper mixed with zinc. It behaves much like copper — it darkens, it can leave a mark on damp skin, and it cleans up with a brass polish or a mild acid — but it is harder, so it holds a crisp engraved edge better. Its natural tone is warmer and more yellow, which is why it sits under many warm-toned finishes.
Alloy is a different kind of word, and this is worth being precise about. It is a category, not a specific material: it means the piece is made from a blend of base metals, most often zinc-based, usually with a plated surface over it. When a page says alloy, it has told you truthfully that the piece is not a precious metal, and it has not told you the recipe. That is fine for a fashion piece intended to be worn for a season or two. It is less fine if you were expecting an heirloom, and the mismatch between those two expectations is where disappointment usually comes from.
Our position on this is simple: we would rather print the word alloy on 13 designs in personalised jewellery than describe them with a silver-sounding phrase that technically means a colour.
Leather and Braided Cord: The Part That Fails First
Several bracelet designs pair a metal component with a leather strap or braided cord, and on those pieces the metal is rarely what wears out first. Leather hates three things: prolonged water, repeated sweat and heat. A leather bracelet taken into the shower daily will stiffen, darken and eventually crack at the fold, and no amount of care undoes that once it starts.
Braided nylon or waxed cord tolerates water better but abrades where it passes through a metal ring, so it frays at a predictable point. Treat both as a wearing part, the equivalent of a watch strap: off before swimming, dried if they get wet, stored flat rather than coiled tight.
Six designs in personalised jewellery and two in the projection bracelets state leather on the product page, so if you want to avoid this maintenance entirely, it is easy to filter for.
Choosing by Skin, Climate and How You Will Wear It
Given the above, the choice usually resolves quickly once you answer three questions honestly.
Does it come off, or does it live on you? A piece that never leaves your wrist — through showers, dishes, the sea — wants stainless steel. A piece that goes on in the morning and comes off at night can be anything, sterling silver included, because it spends most of its life dry and in a box.
Have you reacted to jewellery before? If cheap earrings have irritated you, the likely cause is nickel in a base-metal blend. Sterling silver and quality stainless steel are the two safest starting points, and you should look for a page that names one of them outright rather than one that says only alloy or plated.
Is this meant to last, or to be enjoyed now? Both are legitimate. A NZ$68.90 photo bracelet that makes someone cry at a birthday has done its job whether or not it survives a decade. A piece meant to be handed on wants a stated precious metal and a design that can be repaired. Confusing the two is what leaves people feeling let down by jewellery that was never sold as an heirloom.
Care, and What to Do When Something Changes Colour
Most metal problems are reversible; the ones that are not are usually plating wear.
| Metal | What it does over time | Reversible? | Daily care |
|---|---|---|---|
| 925 sterling silver | Darkens with sulphur, salt air, sweat | Yes — polishing cloth | Off before hot pools and the sea; store in a sealed bag |
| Stainless steel | Essentially nothing; may scratch | Scratches can be buffed | Rinse and dry; no special storage |
| Copper | Darkens to brown patina; may mark skin | Yes — copper polish or lemon and salt | Keep dry; wipe after wearing |
| Brass | Darkens like copper, more slowly | Yes — brass polish | Keep dry; avoid abrasive cloths on engraving |
| Alloy with a plated finish | Plating thins at rub points, base shows through | No — polishing removes what is left | Perfume and lotion on first, jewellery last; wipe, do not scrub |
| Leather and cord | Stiffens, darkens, frays at stress points | No | Keep out of water; store flat |
One rule covers most of it: put jewellery on last, after perfume, sunscreen and moisturiser, and take it off first. Those three products cause a large share of the tarnish and plating wear that gets blamed on the metal.
If a piece arrives and the metal is not what the product page stated, that is our problem rather than yours. Send the order number and a photograph through the contact page; you have 60 days from receiving the order to raise it, and where the fault is ours we cover the return postage and either remake the piece or refund it. The full wording is on the return and exchange page. Nothing in our policy limits your rights under the Consumer Guarantees Act 1993.
Questions People Ask Before Ordering
How can I tell whether a piece is solid 925 or just silver-coloured? Look for a metal noun. If the page says 925 or sterling silver, that is a material claim; if the strongest words are silver-tone, silver colour or silver-plated, the base metal has not been stated. Sterling pieces are usually stamped 925 somewhere discreet — inside a ring band, on the clasp tag, on the back of a pendant.
Will a copper bracelet turn my skin green? It might, and that depends on you more than on the bracelet. The mark is a harmless reaction between copper and the salts in sweat, it washes off, and it is likelier in hot weather or after moisturiser. If you know you are prone to it, choose a design whose page states stainless steel or 925.
Does stainless steel tarnish? No. The chromium oxide layer on the surface reforms whenever it is disturbed, which is why steel handles sea water and showers without changing colour. It can pick up fine scratches, and those can be buffed out.
My silver chain has gone dark. Is it ruined? Almost certainly not. Tarnish is a surface film, not corrosion. A silver polishing cloth removes it in a couple of minutes, including inside chain links if you work the cloth along the length. Avoid abrasive household cleaners, which take metal off along with the film.
What does alloy mean on a product page? It means a blend of base metals, generally with a plated surface, and it is a category rather than a specific recipe. It is an honest word for a fashion piece. It is not a precious metal, and it should not be priced or expected as one.
Which collection has no 925 on any product page? The couple bracelets — 36 designs from NZ$68.90, built on copper and steel with one leather option. We would rather write that here than have you discover it after delivery.
How long does delivery take, and is it tracked? Standard delivery within New Zealand is NZ$14.90, free on orders over NZ$179, and the transit leg runs 7–12 business days with tracking the whole way. Full detail is on the delivery and shipping page.
The exact metal for any design is listed on its own product page. If a page you are looking at does not state one, ask us through the contact page and we will tell you what it is rather than guess.