Care

The short version: don't

Penny Faye pieces are made from 316L stainless steel — the same grade used in surgical instruments and medical implants. Our gold pieces add an 18k gold PVD finish, a vacuum-bonded coating far more durable than traditional plating. Neither needs polishing, replating, or a jewelry box. They need to be worn.

What you never have to do

• Take it off for water. Shower, pool, gulf, bath time, sweat. 316L does not rust or corrode, and PVD is unaffected by water.
• Polish it. Chromium in the steel forms a protective layer that repairs itself when exposed to oxygen. That is what keeps it bright.
• Store it carefully. No tarnish means no airtight bags, no anti-tarnish strips, no ritual.

If you want it to look brand new

Warm water, a drop of dish soap, and a soft cloth. Rinse, dry, done. That is genuinely the entire maintenance routine, and you will only need it after something greasy like sunscreen.

A note on our gold finish

We want to be straight with you about this. PVD (physical vapor deposition) bonds gold to steel at the molecular level in a vacuum chamber. It is dramatically harder and longer-lasting than the electroplating used on most gold-tone jewelry — it will not flake, bubble, or turn your wrist green.

It is still a surface finish, though, not solid gold. With years of hard daily wear it can eventually show wear at high-contact points. Our silver pieces are solid 316L throughout, so their color genuinely cannot wear off. If you want something to outlast everything, that is the one.

The honest caveats

• Chlorine and salt are fine, but rinse after. Not because it will corrode, but because dried salt and pool chemicals leave a dull film.
• Scratches happen. Steel resists them far better than sterling silver or 14k gold, but concrete and granite still win.
• Skip abrasive cleaners. No bleach, no scouring powder, no ultrasonic tank — these can dull a PVD finish.

Sensitive skin

316L is what people with metal sensitivities are usually told to look for. Nickel is bound within the alloy structure rather than sitting on the surface, so very little transfers to skin. If you have reacted to costume jewelry or plated pieces before, this is the category that tends to work.

If a piece of yours ever discolors or corrodes, that is not normal — tell us and we will take care of it.