Stainless Steel is a great material to use for jewelry chain. Stainless steel is used when someone is looking for a chain that doesn't need to be plated, is hypoallergenic and is just about indestructible. Stainless is a fairly difficult material to make chain with because it is very tough on the chain machine tooling which is why there is a limited amount of options and why we only go up to .080 (2mm) wire.
An interesting fact about stainless steel is that while it contains nickel it is considered nickel-free because it doesn't "leach" nickel.
If you are considering plating the chain, then you would be better off using steel, brass or soldered brass. They will look the same once plated, but will cost less and you'll have more choices.
Since 1967 Garlan has been one of the leading manufacturers of stainless steel jewelry chains sold wholesale in bulk by the foot or assembled to your specifications. We can even assemble using all stainless steel components. In the case of longer necklaces, endless assembly is a great option.