Surgical stainless steel (316L)
On the label: 316L stainless steel · Metal
What it is
The low-carbon grade of 316 stainless used for implants and body jewelry. Contains 10 to 14 percent nickel in the alloy; it releases very little of it, which is why it passes the EU nickel-release test.
Metals: Solid metals: what the piece is made of all the way through. Purity is written as karat (gold) or parts per thousand (925 silver, 950 platinum).
In the research
19 PubMed papers mention it with jewelry, allergy, eyewear or UV; the three most recent:
- Nickel release from 316L stainless steel following a Ni-free electroplating cycle · Heliyon, 2024
- Response Surface Methodology (RSM) Approach for Optimizing the Processing Parameters of 316L SS in Directed Energy Deposition · Materials (Basel, Switzerland), 2023
- Synergistic inhibition effect of ultraviolet irradiation and benzalkonium chloride on the corrosion of 316L stainless steel caused by Aspergillus terreus · Bioelectrochemistry (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 2023
A paper is a paper, not a verdict: titles are listed so you can read them, and a study on one fabric or one filter says little about the piece in your hand.
Pieces whose listing names it
11 on the siteMatched from the words in the supplier's listing; the full material line is on each product page.
Other metals
Clasp & Lens describes materials from the public record and does not appraise, grade or test pieces; what a listing states is the supplier's statement. If a piece causes a rash, take it off; a reaction that spreads or blisters is a doctor's question, and sunglasses are no substitute for impact-rated eye protection where that is required.