Surgical steel, also known as 316L and Implant grade steel is a steel alloy that is the most common body jewelry piercing material in the world. It can be polished to a shiny surface, and many people prefer this material to titanium because of its luster.

Allergic reactions, when they occur, are rarely due to the stainless steel but from other factors (most commonly from mechanical irritation or harsh cleaning products). Allergic reactions typically include itching, redness, and swelling, with a discharge of clear fluid that is not lymph. The element in stainless steel that causes allergic reactions in some people is nickel. Polishing the jewelry to a mirror like luster results in a protective layer of chromium oxide keeping the Nickel content trapped inside.

One disadvantage of 316L is its weight. In larger pieces of body jewelry this can be a problem as it can cause tension in the body tissue, and also unwanted stretching of a piercing. In areas with low blood circulation, such as the earlobe, this can be potentially dangerous. However, with smaller jewelry, there is no need to worry.

Another downside is its tendency to become very cold during winter. This can cause problems; due to this, many change their jewelry to others made of horn, bone, wood, plastics and glass during winter.

The 316 series of stainless has a tendency to work harden and to form a long stringy curl when lathe processed, the use of a chip breaker is recommended. Like all steels, 316L may be sterilized in an autoclave.

Specific Gravity 7.95 Melting Point 2550F

annealing 1850-2050 F (1010-1121 C), followed by rapid cooling. Can only be work hardened, and not hardened by heat.

The two standards for how to make surgical implant grade metals are ASTM F138 and ISO5832-1

Other standards for 316 include: AFNOR Z7CND 18-12-03, AISI 316, AMS 5524, AMS 5573, AMS 5648, AMS 5690, AMS 5696, ASTM A167, ASTM A182, ASTM A193 (B8M, MA, M2 & M3), ASTM A194 (316, 8M, 8MA), ASTM A213, ASTM A240, ASTM A249, ASTM A269, ASTM A270, ASTM A271, ASTM A276, ASTM A312, ASTM A313, ASTM A314, ASTM A320 (316,B8M, B8MA), ASTM A336, ASTM A358, ASTM A368, ASTM A376, ASTM A403, ASTM A409, ASTM A430, ASTM A473, ASTM A478, ASTM A479, ASTM A492, ASTM A493, ASTM A511, ASTM A554, ASTM A580, ASTM A632, ASTM A666, ASTM A688, ASTM A771, ASTM A813, ASTM A814, ASTM A826 ASTM F138, DIN 1.4401, DIN 1.4436, MIL S-5059, MIL S-7720, QQ S763, QQ S766, and UNS S31600.

The following formulations, give percentages of material in the mix, single numbers represent maximum values