It's made of zinc ... zinc stuff loses/absorbs it's plating, the giveaway normally is that the steel/brass hardware doesn't absorb the finish and stays the original colour.
For example see my Ostvolk Medal IInd Class in Gold ..
Notice how the colour is being absorbed by the zinc medal in the middle and yet the ring retains it's full original finish.
To me the subject pip has a residue of gold-plating and therefore could be an SS officer's shoulder strap pip.
SS used quite all. silver in tabs and also gold in shoulder boards. i think if we must talk about ss pips we can identify rank tab ones with semisphere in the centre
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