Our Materials

What your jewelry is actually made of

Every Nove xvi piece is either 316L stainless steel or solid 925 sterling silver — never anything in between.

On the stainless pieces, gold tones get an 18k PVD coating and silver tones are polished 316L. That's it — no mystery metals, no plating that disappears in a month.

A small selection of our pieces is solid 925 sterling silver instead — real silver, not silver-colored steel. Every sterling piece is marked on its product page and lives in its own Sterling Silver collection, so you always know what you're buying.

316L stainless steel vs. regular stainless steel

Not all stainless steel is the same. Most fashion jewelry uses 304 stainless steel — the standard grade. We use 316L, the marine grade, and the difference matters:

  • 316L contains molybdenum; 304 doesn't. That's what makes 316L dramatically more resistant to corrosion from sweat, salt water, and everyday wear. 304 can pit and dull over time. 316L holds its finish.
  • The "L" means low carbon. Lower carbon content means better resistance to tarnishing and a smoother, more stable surface against your skin.
  • It's the same grade used in quality watches and body jewelry — chosen specifically for pieces worn against skin all day.
  • Sensitive skin: nickel is bound tightly inside the 316L alloy, so nickel release is very low. Most people with metal sensitivities wear 316L comfortably. (If you have a severe nickel allergy, check with your dermatologist first — we'd rather be honest than sorry.)

Bottom line: 316L is the grade we'd pick for ourselves, so it's the grade we sell.

Our sterling silver edit

Some pieces deserve a finer base. Our sterling edit is solid 925 sterling silver — 92.5% pure silver, the fine-jewelry standard — finished exactly the same way as everything else: 18k PVD on the gold tones, polished silver on the silver tones.

It's a small and growing edit, and every sterling piece is marked on its product page and tagged into the Sterling Silver collection. No guessing about what you're buying. Same five-year quality promise, finer material.

Why PVD instead of regular gold plating

Traditional gold plating is jewelry dipped in a chemical bath — a thin layer sitting on top of the metal. It looks good for a few weeks, then fades, scratches, and flakes. PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) is a completely different process:

  • The gold layer is bonded to the steel inside a vacuum chamber, at a molecular level. It's fused on, not dipped on.
  • PVD coatings are significantly harder and more wear-resistant than electroplating — they resist scratching, fading, and flaking far longer.
  • The color is richer and more even, which is how you get a true 18k gold tone that actually stays 18k gold-toned.
  • The process uses no harsh chemical baths, unlike traditional electroplating.

This is why our gold pieces don't do what cheap plated jewelry does — that dull, brassy fade after a month of wear.

What this means day to day

  • Shower, sweat, swim — your pieces handle real life. Rinse them after chlorine or salt water and they'll thank you.
  • The gold tone stays. With basic care, the PVD finish keeps its color for years, not weeks.
  • Basic care: wipe with a soft cloth after wearing, store dry, and keep perfume and harsh chemicals off the finish. That's the whole routine.

Initium Collection