Men's Stainless Steel Chain

Men's stainless steel chains: what the steel names mean

Every chain we sell is steel, and product pages use three words for it: stainless steel, 316L stainless steel and titanium steel. Add the finishes, bare, gold-tone, black, and it is fair to ask what you are actually buying. This page explains the steel itself, so you can choose a chain knowing exactly what it is made of.

For choosing by width, length and link, start from our men's chains guide.

Three names, one family

For daily wear, all three behave the same way: they hold their shape, do not rust, and keep a polish. Choose by link and size, not by the steel name.

Bare steel or plated

• Bare steel (silver tone): the color is the metal itself, polished. There is nothing to wear off; a scratch shows more steel in the same color.
• Gold-tone plating: a gold-colored layer on the steel. It gives the warm look without gold, and it wears slowly with friction, perfume and chlorine.
• Black plating: the same idea in black, offered on chains such as the Franco and the Cuban link chain necklace.

If you want the chain you never think about, choose bare steel. If you want gold tone, our gold-tone chains page explains how to make the plating last.

Steel in the water

A steel chain can stay on in the shower, at the gym, in the sea and in the pool. Two habits keep it at its best: rinse it in clean water after the sea or the pool, and dry it. Salt and chlorine leave a film on bare steel and slowly wear a plating; a rinse removes the first and slows the second.

Why steel for a men's chain

Steel is strong for its width, so a 3 mm steel chain can carry a pendant, and a 10 mm Cuban like the bold Cuban in titanium steel keeps its shape with daily wear. Because it is affordable, you can own the right width and length rather than settle.