Is stainless steel jewelry waterproof?
The steel is. Bare 316 and 316L do not rust in normal wear, including showering, sweat and swimming, because chromium forms a passive surface layer that reforms when scratched. A plated piece is a different question: the steel underneath is unaffected, but a gold-tone surface layer wears with abrasion and time. Treat waterproof as a claim about the base metal, not about the finish.
Can you shower with stainless steel jewelry?
Yes for bare stainless steel. Water, soap and sweat do not corrode it. For plated pieces, repeated hot water and soap accelerate wear on the surface layer, so the piece stays structurally fine while the colour ages faster. If you sell plated ranges, say this to customers up front rather than after the return request.
Do I pay customs duty on a wholesale order to the UK or EU?
Not on the economy duty-paid line. Import duty and VAT are settled before the parcel leaves China, so the checkout total is the landed cost and nothing is owed on delivery. This applies up to GBP 135 for the UK and USD 165 for the EU, which are the customs limits for duty-prepaid parcels. Above those limits, orders ship by commercial express and duties are billed to the receiver, which is disclosed next to the rate before you pay.
What does shipping actually cost to the UK and EU?
Measured on 16 August 2026, all taxes included: a 0.5 kg parcel costs USD 8.26 to the UK, USD 13.59 to Spain, USD 14.21 to Germany, USD 14.29 to France and USD 14.82 to Italy. A 1 kg parcel costs USD 12.80 to the UK and USD 19.66-21.04 across the EU. There is no minimum order, so the same rates apply to a single-piece order.
Can I use my own IOSS number?
Yes. EU buyers holding an IOSS number can enter it at checkout to pay freight only and account for import VAT themselves. Note that a VAT or EORI number alone does not remove import VAT for EU parcels — IOSS is the specific scheme that does.
Is waterproof jewelry the same as tarnish-free?
They describe the same underlying property from different angles, and the market uses waterproof, non-tarnish, anti-tarnish and tarnish-free interchangeably. All of them are statements about the steel resisting corrosion and discolouration. None of them is a statement about how long a plated colour lasts, and none of them implies anything about nickel content.
Which waterproof jewelry suppliers ship duty-paid to the UK?
Very few publish it, so ask before ordering. This range ships to the UK and EU with duties handled in the price lane shown at checkout and tracking end to end, which means a boutique's landed cost is visible before payment rather than arriving later as a carrier invoice.