At GroveTop Studio, we’re picky about the metals we work with. If a piece is going to leave our oak grove and live on your neck, wrist, or keyring, it has to stand up to real life - heat, humidity, sweat, salt, chlorine, and years of everyday handling.
To make sure of that, we put every new metal style through a series of metal integrity tests. These aren’t lab experiments with white coats and clipboards; they’re practical, real-world trials designed to answer one simple question: Will this piece stay beautiful and reliable for the long haul?
The Sweat Test (Acid Test)
Our first checkpoint is what we call the Sweat Test. Skin chemistry, sweat, and everyday humidity can be surprisingly tough on jewelry—especially in warm or humid climates.
To simulate that environment, we:
- Submerge sample pieces in an acidic vinegar solution meant to mimic sweat and skin oils.
- Let them sit for an extended period, checking at intervals for discoloration, tarnish, or odd reactions.
If a piece passes, it tells us that:
- The metal is what it claims to be - genuine stainless steel or sterling silver, not a cheap alloy or mystery coating.
- The finish can handle contact with skin, sweat, and everyday wear without turning strange colors or causing the design to lose its character.
Anything that fails this first test is immediately disqualified from our collections. If we wouldn’t trust it on our own skin, we won’t offer it to you.
The Salt Water Test
Next comes one of the harshest environments for metal: salt water. Ocean air, sea spray, and salty skin can accelerate corrosion and dull a finish quickly if the metal isn’t up to the challenge.
For the Salt Water Test, we:
- Immerse our test pieces in a concentrated saltwater solution for an extended period.
- Observe whether the metal flakes, rusts, or loses its luster.
- Check moving parts, jump rings, and small details for hidden weak points.
Only metals that come through this trial without flaking, peeling, or obvious surface damage move on. This is how we verify that our finishes are strong enough for:
- Beach days and coastal humidity
- Warm, damp climates
- Everyday life in places where the air itself can feel like the ocean
If it isn’t strong enough for the salt, it doesn’t earn a place in our product lineup.
The Chlorine Test
Chlorine is another quiet enemy of metal. It’s common in pools, hot tubs, and some cleaning products, and over time it can cause pitting, fading, or weakening - especially in cheaper alloys or plated pieces.
To guard against that, we run a controlled Chlorine Test on our designs:
- Pieces are exposed to a diluted chlorine solution for a set period.
- We watch closely for changes in color, surface pitting, or dull patches.
- Any piece that reacts badly is flagged and rejected.
This doesn’t mean jewelry should live permanently in a chlorinated pool (we still recommend removing it when you swim whenever possible). But it does mean that: a splash here or there, or an afternoon by the pool, shouldn’t destroy your piece.
The Real-World Wear Test (Rock Tumbler Trial)
Metal can pass every liquid test and still fail the most important one: daily life. Keys, coins, bags, seat belts, and countertops all team up to scratch and scuff anything you wear regularly.
To simulate years of that kind of treatment in a short period, we use a rock tumbler test:
- We place a prototype of each new design into a rock tumbler along with coins, keys, and other scratchy objects.
- The tumbler rotates, knocking the piece around repeatedly to mimic years of bumps and scrapes.
- Afterward, we inspect the piece for deep gouges, plating failure, broken links, or compromised components.
If the design still looks beautiful - with only the kind of light, normal micro-scratches any piece accumulates over time - then it passes. If it comes out dented, chipped, or structurally weakened, we go back to the drawing board.
What We Look For in Every Test
Across all of our metal integrity tests, we’re watching for the same core things:
- Authentic metal composition – Stainless steel and sterling silver should behave like the real thing, not like mystery metal under a thin coating.
- Color stability – No strange stains, patches, or uneven fading.
- Surface resilience – Finishes should resist flaking, peeling, and obvious damage under reasonable conditions.
- Structural strength – Jump rings, connectors, and moving parts should stay secure, even after simulated years of wear.
If a piece doesn’t clear every bar, it doesn’t make it into our final collections. It’s that simple.
What This Means for You
When you choose a metal piece from GroveTop Studio, you’re not just getting something that looks beautiful on day one. You’re getting a design that’s been:
- Acid-tested to mimic sweat and skin contact
- Saltwater-tested to stand up to humid and coastal environments
- Chlorine-tested to check for fading and pitting
- Tumble-tested to simulate years of knocks, drops, and daily wear
We can’t promise that jewelry will never show signs of a life well lived. Over time, every favorite piece picks up tiny marks and memories. But we can promise that we do everything in our power to start with metals that are worthy of that journey.
Our standard is simple: if we wouldn’t proudly wear it ourselves, we don’t ship it out under the GroveTop name.
Caring for Your GroveTop Metal Pieces
To help your jewelry and keepsakes stay at their best, we recommend:
- Wiping pieces gently with a soft cloth after wear.
- Storing them in a dry place, away from prolonged moisture.
- Removing them before extended swimming, soaking, or heavy cleaning when possible.
Combined with our metal integrity testing, these simple habits help ensure your piece remains a trusted companion for years to come.
From our oak grove to your everyday life, we want every GroveTop piece to feel as dependable as it is meaningful.
