Materials and care
What Elaré jewelry is made of, and how to keep it
Everything Elaré makes is built on 316L stainless steel. Gold pieces are finished with 18K gold plating, silver pieces are rhodium plated. All of it is water-safe, tarnish-resistant and hypoallergenic, and all of it carries a lifetime warranty. This page is the full detail behind those four sentences.
316L stainless steel
316L is the surgical grade of stainless steel. It carries chromium, nickel and molybdenum, and the chromium reacts with air to form a thin oxide layer that re-forms every time the surface is scratched. That layer is why it does not rust and does not tarnish the way sterling silver does, and why it survives sweat, chlorine and salt water that would dull a softer metal.
It is also hard. A 316L band takes knocks from door handles, gym bars and car keys and keeps its shape, which matters more on a ring you wear daily than any precious-metal content. The nickel in 316L is locked into the alloy rather than sitting free on the surface, which is why it is worn comfortably by most people with nickel sensitivity and why we describe it as hypoallergenic.
18K gold plating
Our gold pieces are 316L steel with 18K gold bonded to the outside. You get the color and warmth of gold over a core that is far harder than solid gold would be, at a fraction of the price. Plating is a surface, so it wears at friction points over years of daily wear, usually first on the inside of a ring band or the edge of a clasp. Keeping it off harsh cleaners and abrasives is most of the job.
Rhodium plating
Every silver piece is rhodium plated. Rhodium is a bright, hard, white finish from the platinum family; it gives a mirror-silver tone with more depth than bare steel and it does not tarnish.
Stones
SANCTUM carries a red zircon at the center of the cross motif, bonded in place. AXIOM and LUNARA carry precision-cut stones set into the band. On AXIOM, LUNARA and SANCTUM rings, a stone lost because of a fault is covered by the warranty.
Care: plated pieces
- Put jewelry on last, after fragrance, lotion, sunscreen and hairspray.
- It is water-safe. Shower and swim in it. Rinse in fresh water and dry after salt water or a chlorinated pool.
- Wipe with a soft dry cloth after wear. That is genuinely most of it.
- No polishing compounds, no ultrasonic cleaners, no bleach and no alcohol-based cleaners on plating. Polishing compound is abrasive and will take plating off.
- Store dry and separate from other metal, in the box or pouch it shipped in.
Storage
Every chain, the SANCTUM Bracelet and the COVENANT ID Bracelet ship in the Elaré Magnetic Gift Box; rings, earrings and the SILEN Bracelet ship in the Elaré pouch. Keeping pieces apart is the point: steel against steel in a drawer is what causes most of the fine scratching people assume is a fault. A magnetic gift box is available if you want something more rigid for longer storage.
Warranty
Every Elaré piece carries a lifetime warranty against manufacturing and structural defects: breakage, snapping, a stone lost because of a fault, and plating that peels, flakes or fades abnormally. If it fails and it is our fault, we replace it free and you keep the original. Not covered: normal wear such as light surface scratching, loss or theft, damage from crushing, bending or chemical exposure, and repairs done elsewhere. Email support@elare.co with your order number and photos and you get an answer in 24 to 48 hours. Full terms on the lifetime warranty page.
Shipping
Orders are packed and dispatched in 1 to 2 business days and you get tracking by email as soon as they move. After dispatch: United States 5 to 7 business days, United Kingdom and Canada 4 to 5, rest of the world 5 to 9, and Hawaii, Alaska, Puerto Rico and US territories 8 to 12. Shipping is free worldwide on orders over $75; below that the rate is shown at checkout. See the shipping policy.
Exchanges
Wrong size? We exchange it. Email support@elare.co within 14 days of delivery: we cover the replacement piece, you cover a flat $10 exchange shipping fee, anywhere in the world. Same piece in a different size, one exchange per order. Unworn pieces in their original condition can also be returned for store credit within 14 days. Every product page carries the measurements, and the ring sizer saves you the wait. If a piece arrives damaged or we sent the wrong one, email support@elare.co within 48 hours of delivery with photos and we ship a free replacement. You keep the original; there is nothing to send back. See the refund policy.
FAQ
Is Elaré jewelry waterproof?
Yes. Every piece is built on 316L stainless steel and is safe to shower and swim in. Rinse in fresh water and dry after salt water or a chlorinated pool, which is about the residue rather than the metal.
Will it turn my finger green?
No. Green marks come from copper-based alloys reacting with skin. 316L stainless steel does not do that, and neither does 18K gold plating or rhodium plating over it.
Is it safe if I react to nickel?
316L is widely worn by people with nickel sensitivity because the nickel is bound into the alloy rather than sitting free on the surface. If your sensitivity is severe, the plated pieces put a further layer between your skin and the steel.
How long does the plating last?
Plating is a surface and it wears at friction points over years of daily wear. Keeping it away from polishing compounds, ultrasonic cleaners, bleach and abrasives is what extends it. Plating that peels, flakes or fades abnormally is a defect and is covered by the lifetime warranty.
Can I clean it with jewelry polish?
Not on plated pieces. Polishing compounds are abrasive and remove plating. A soft dry cloth is the right tool.
Do I have to return a faulty piece to claim the warranty?
No. Email support@elare.co with your order number and photos. Approved claims ship a free replacement and you keep the original.