Two materials.
Both chosen for one reason.
Every purepixxi earring is built from S316L Surgical Steel and Aunix™ 24K Pure Gold. Nothing else is in the mix. This page explains exactly what those materials are, why they matter, and what independent SGS laboratory testing confirmed.
No hidden components.
No vague certificates.
Most children's jewelry does not tell you what is inside. purepixxi tells you everything. Two materials. Named, graded, and tested.
S316L Surgical Steel
Type 316 Stainless Steel, Low Carbon Variant
S316L is the specific grade used in surgical implants, bone screws, and medical instruments. Specified under ASTM F138 for surgical implant use. Its surface is dense and non-porous. On the Surgical Steel collection styles, this is the material in direct contact with her ear — precision-polished to a bright mirror finish that gives it its clean, silver appearance.
Aunix™ 24K Pure Gold
24 Karat Gold Electroplating, 99.9% Pure Gold
24K gold contains no alloying metals. Lower karat alternatives used by most jewelry brands are diluted with nickel, copper, cobalt, and zinc. Those metals are a common cause of contact dermatitis in children. On Gold collection styles, pure 24 karat gold is applied directly onto the S316L core with Aunix™ 24K, so every point of skin contact is pure gold and nothing else.
What the SGS lab found.
Or rather, did not find.
purepixxi earrings were submitted to SGS United Kingdom Ltd for independent testing. Testing ran from 25 March to 29 April 2026. The sample was the 4mm 24K Gold Electroplated Ball Stud, assessed for the 6 years and older age group.
All three specimens tested across three trials each. Every result: Not Detected — below the 0.1 μg/cm²/week detection limit. The regulatory limit is 0.2. Not a trace found.
Both the earring and the back tested below 10 ppm. The CPSIA permissible limit is 100 ppm. The result was not just within limits — it was undetectable.
Both specimens below the method detection limit of 10 mg/kg. The permissible limit under ASTM F2923 and REACH is 100 mg/kg. Undetectable on both.
20 elements tested including antimony, arsenic, cobalt, copper, mercury, and zinc. Every element came back below Category III limits — the most stringent category. Chromium VI confirmed below 0.053 mg/kg.
Lead (Cl.5), cadmium in substrate (Cl.9), nickel in metal (Cl.10), sharp points and edges (Cl.13.3) — all returned a Pass. Specimen declared as 24K Gold, meeting listed materials of Table 3.
Total lead under CPSIA Section 101: both specimens below 10 ppm against a 100 ppm limit. Cadmium and nickel release also confirmed compliant across all applicable CPSC methods.
S316L Surgical Steel:
what the grade actually means.
The same classification
used inside the body.
Type 316 stainless steel has two variants: 316 and 316L. The L stands for low carbon. Lower carbon content reduces chromium carbide precipitation at grain boundaries during manufacturing, which can degrade corrosion resistance in the standard 316 grade.
In practice, S316L is the steel specified for use in surgical implants, bone plates, and spinal hardware. Specified under ASTM F138 for surgical implant use. Its use in jewelry is a direct application of a medical material standard to a consumer product — which is exactly what sets it apart from generic stainless labeling.
On Surgical Steel styles, the S316L itself is the material in direct contact with her ear. It is precision-polished to a bright mirror finish — smooth, non-porous, and corrosion-resistant. The steel is the surface. SGS laboratory testing found nickel release not detected from the steel across all specimens tested.
On nickel content in S316L: S316L does contain nickel within its alloy composition, typically 10 to 14%. The dense passive oxide layer on S316L's surface keeps nickel release very low. The nickel is bound within the steel matrix, not free to release. SGS testing confirmed this: nickel release not detected across all specimens tested.
Implant-Grade — ASTM F138
The standard specifying 316L for surgical implant use. The same grade used in bone plates and hip replacements. Named and checkable, not a marketing word.
Non-Porous Surface
Dense, smooth, and non-porous. There is little for bacteria or debris to bind to. The reason it is used for surgical instruments that require sterilization.
Chloride-Resistant
Molybdenum in the alloy provides resistance to chloride corrosion. purepixxi earrings hold up to chlorinated and salt water.
CNC Precision Milled
Each post is milled to exact tolerances. Milled steel avoids the casting imperfections found in cast jewelry. No rough edges against her skin.
Nickel is present in the alloy composition. It is bound within the steel matrix and does not release at a detectable level. SGS testing found nickel release not detected across all specimens tested.
Specific commitments.
Not general promises.
Principles only mean something when they translate into specifics you can actually check. Here's exactly what every purepixxi product is held to.
Every purepixxi design uses two materials and no others. S316L Surgical Steel, the grade used for medical instruments and implants, chosen because it resists corrosion. And Aunix™ 24K, pure 24 karat gold applied directly onto that steel core. Nickel release measured under EN 1811: not detected, which is below what the test can measure and well under the regulatory limit. There's no undisclosed alloy layer anywhere in the construction.
We use S316L Surgical Steel and Aunix™ 24K, pure 24 karat gold. Both are listed on every single product page, in full. If a product doesn't carry that specification, it's not a purepixxi product.
All purepixxi products are tested against ASTM F2923, the US safety standard for children's jewelry. This covers nickel release, lead content, cadmium content, and surface finish safety. Testing is done by SGS, an independent laboratory.
Kids' ears are smaller, more active, and more easily hurt by a snag. purepixxi earring backs are sized specifically for young and sensitive skin. Our unique pin notch keeps them secure through a full day, smooth enough to take off without catching skin.
Every purepixxi earring carries a lifetime guarantee against craftsmanship defects and material failure. It doesn't cover loss or accidental damage. Email orders@purepixxi.com with your order number. You will receive our immediate attention.
We don't take adult jewelry and resize it. Every piece is built specifically for young and sensitive skin: light enough for all-day comfort, low-profile enough to avoid catching in hair and clothing, and sized to suit smaller, more delicate ear anatomy from the very start.
Aunix™ 24K Pure Gold:
why karat number matters.
The only gold with
no alloy in the mix.
The karat system measures gold purity as a fraction of 24 parts. 24 karat means all 24 parts are gold. Every karat below 24 means that fraction is replaced with other metals — typically nickel, copper, silver, zinc, or cobalt. Those metals are cheaper than gold and also harder, which helps with scratch resistance. Both are manufacturing advantages for the brand, not safety advantages for the child.
24K gold is softer than lower karat alternatives. It is also the only option that presents no reactive metals at the skin surface. purepixxi applies 24 karat gold onto the S316L core with Aunix™ 24K, our engineered gold finish, an electroplating process that deposits pure gold onto the steel surface under controlled electrical and chemical conditions.
On the term "gold plated": Gold plating is not a single process. Thickness, purity, and bonding method vary widely. purepixxi uses Aunix™ 24K: pure 24 karat gold applied by electroplating onto a solid S316L Surgical Steel core. Like all plating it wears eventually, and what is underneath is the same S316L Surgical Steel we sell on its own. The earring is covered by the lifetime guarantee.
Surface Preparation
The S316L steel post is cleaned and activated to ensure a uniform, contaminant-free surface.
Electroplating Bath
The steel is immersed in a 24K gold solution. An electrical current deposits pure gold onto the surface.
Pure Gold Surface Layer
The result is pure 24 karat gold — stable, chemically inert, and non-reactive. Every point of skin contact is gold.
What the SGS lab found.
Or rather, did not find.
purepixxi earrings were submitted to SGS United Kingdom Ltd for independent testing. Testing ran from 25 March to 29 April 2026. The sample was a 24K Gold Electroplated stud on an S316L Surgical Steel base, assessed for the 6 years and older age group.
All three specimens were tested across three trials each. Every result came back Not Detected, below the 0.1 μg/cm²/week detection limit. The regulatory limit is 0.2. Nothing detected on any specimen.
Both the earring and the back tested below 10 ppm. The CPSIA permissible limit is 100 ppm. The result was not just within limits, it was undetectable.
Both specimens came back below the method detection limit of 10 mg/kg. The permissible limit under ASTM F2923 and REACH is 100 mg/kg. Undetectable on both.
20 elements tested including antimony, arsenic, cobalt, copper, mercury, and zinc. Every element came back below Category III limits. Chromium VI confirmed below 0.053 mg/kg.
Lead (Cl.5), cadmium in substrate (Cl.9), nickel in metal (Cl.10), sharp points and edges (Cl.13.3): all returned a Pass. Specimen declared as 24K Gold, meeting listed materials of Table 3.
Total lead under CPSIA Section 101: both specimens below 10 ppm against a 100 ppm limit. Cadmium and nickel release also confirmed compliant across all applicable CPSC methods.
Why we built this.
What we're building toward.
Straight answers.
No marketing language.
Questions we are asked most often about the materials inside every purepixxi earring.
Two materials. Both named. Both tested.
Both right for her skin.
purepixxi earrings are built from S316L Surgical Steel and Aunix™ 24K Pure Gold. Independent SGS laboratory testing confirmed what the material specifications already said: nothing detected above the limits tested.