PIERCING JEWELRY DICTIONARY
High quality piercing jewelry
High-quality jewelry is particularly important in the piercing area, since the jewelry is worn IN the skin and not ON the skin as with chains or bracelets. That is why it is so important that the piercing jewelry is polished smoothly when it is first used and made of a compatible material.
No manufacturer will ever claim that they are not selling high quality jewelry. But how can you, as a customer, know what to look out for? What does 'high quality' mean specifically in the field of piercing jewelry?
We have put together the top 5 characteristics for you, by which you can recognize whether piercing jewelry deserves the predicate 'high quality'!
1. Material
The word 'surgeon' in surgical steel is misleading because this jewelry contains nickel, titanium is nickel-free!
2. Polish & Surface
Rough surfaces irritate your piercing. Hand-polished titanium is gentle on your puncture canal.
3. Thread
External threads can bring bacteria into your canal. Internal threads will not damage your piercing.
4. Processing
The better the processing of the jewelry, the better your piercing will heal.
5. Rhinestones & Opals
Unsightly discolored or loose rhinestones? Does not have to be! High quality manufacturers give a lifelong guarantee against discoloration or loosening of the stones.
1. Piercing jewelry material
Your piercing jewelry should be made of implant grade ASTM F-136 titanium, ASTM F-138 implant grade stainless steel, nickel-free real gold from 14 carat, niobium or glass.
These materials are suitable for staying in your body over a long period of time.
Caution is advised, especially with titanium:
Not all titanium is created equal. Many manufacturers do not provide any specific information about the type of titanium they sell. Due to its wide range of applications, titanium is available in different alloys (compositions), but not all are suitable for being worn in your body. A titanium alloy that is used for shipbuilding or aerospace engineering is not the right one to wear in your body. That is why the addition 'implant grade' is particularly important. This means that the material is intended to remain in the body.
Roughly speaking, the term 'titanium' is about as precise as saying that a table is made of 'wood'. This statement does not yet tell us whether it is a table made of cheap pressboard or whether the table is made of mahogany wood.
'Surgical steel' or '316L stainless steel' are also not a high-quality material for piercing jewelry, as this alloy contains a high nickel content (10% - 13%) and this can not only cause problems for allergy sufferers, but can even cause allergies, should the percentage Salary may be higher, which can happen because many manufacturers have their jewelry made in Southeast Asia and the requirements and controls there do not meet European standards.
Perhaps the best-known case is a 2017 recall for a 'Claire's' branded tongue piercing stud due to excessive nickel content.
Only ASTM F-138 steel, which also has the addition 'implant grade', is safe to wear.
2. Polish and surface of your piercing jewelry
The best material is of no use if the surface is not well polished. Piercing jewelry is subject to higher demands than costume jewelry such as rings or chains, since piercing jewelry is worn IN instead of ON the skin. This difference is particularly big when it comes to fresh piercings, because the jewelry you put in after piercing has direct contact with the surrounding tissue and should therefore be well tolerated and processed.
This means that the material should be biocompatible and nice and smooth so that no bacteria and no secretion can accumulate on it.
If the surface is rough, this is bad for the healing of your piercing, as the new cells that are formed during the healing process also form in these small bumps. If the jewelry is then moved, this tissue will tear. The more often this happens, the longer the healing process takes and the higher the chance that scarred tissue will form in the puncture canal itself.
In addition to compatibility, a nicely polished piece of jewelry is of course much nicer to look at because it shines more. The grayish tone of the material, which is often criticized for titanium, is practically no longer noticeable with a good polish.
3. Thread in the piercing jewelry
In the piercing jewelry area, there are two different thread forms with which you can turn balls on pins. By far the most widespread variant in Germany is the externally threaded. The thread is on the plug and the attachment has an opening that is screwed onto the thread of the plug.
We at 'Dein Piercing' only offer jewelry with an internal thread. This means that the thread for screwing on the attachments / balls is not on the rod of the plug, but on the attachment / ball. This type of closure has some advantages over the external thread, which is standard in Europe. For example, that no bacteria can accumulate in the depressions of the thread when you insert the plug into the puncture channel.
Disadvantages of the external thread :
1. You have to go through with the sharp-edged thread with every exchange
the branch duct
2. In the depressions of the thread bacteria can accumulate, which you so
introducing into the branch channel
3. The gap dimension - the small gap between the ball and the rod - is higher.
Here, too, bacteria can collect again
4. The ball turns more easily
Advantages of the internal thread :
1. The smooth surface enables an exchange without your branch duct
hurting in the process
2. Jewelry with an internal thread is almost always made of higher quality titanium
External thread jewelry
3. The gap is smaller and that means your piercing is cleaner as it is
nothing can deposit
4. The ball holds better, this saves you money
4. Processing of piercing jewelry
The more carefully the piercing jewelry is processed, the more beautiful it looks and the better your piercing can heal.
This includes the already mentioned points of material. Polish and thread.
In addition, it is important to ensure that there are no 'pointed' corners or other unevenness on the frame, for example, where dirt can accumulate and which are difficult to clean.
You can see how differently well the same article can be processed in our comparison picture, which shows the same article from two different manufacturers.
gold
Piercing jewelry made of gold should always be a nickel-free alloy so that one cannot react allergic. In addition, it must always be ensured that the piece of jewelery is not only 'gold-plated' and that it is solid gold - for example, it is not a hollow ball that only has a thin gold shell.
5. Rhinestones and Opals
With Anatometal, BVLA, LeRoi and Industrial Strength , we have brands in our range whose workmanship of the jewelry is so high that we can give a lifetime guarantee against the discoloration of the gemstones, Swarovski crystals or opals.
Why is that and what is the difference to other manufacturers?
As an example, the processing of a rhinestone in a titanium setting for screwing by the company Industrial Strength is to be taken. The frame is checked for defects - still without the stone - polished by hand and then cleaned with steam. Then the stone is inserted, polished again and cleaned a second time with steam
This procedure is used for each item.
The production of the articles is correspondingly more complex and time-consuming, but the jewelery is correspondingly higher quality - not only visually. This video on Youtube provides a small insight into the production of Industrial Strength (unfortunately only in English).
Swarovski zirconia vs rhinestone
Sometimes a picture is worth a thousand words. Here you can see the difference between a zirconia from Swarovski, which is held in a Prong Set setting, and a regular rhinestone from a large supplier in Germany.
The rhinestone on the left has a foil stuck behind it so that it reflects the light better. The stone itself is also glued into the setting. If the glue loosens somewhat over time - which is completely normal with regular contact with water, shower gel, make-up remover, etc. - and some moisture runs behind it, the stone becomes 'blind'.
This cannot happen with the zirconia, since no foil is used here to achieve the sparkle. In addition, the cut of the two stones cannot be compared with each other. Due to its cut, a zirconia can hardly be distinguished from a diamond.
The zirconia is held in three places by the setting - no glue is used, so this attachment from Anatometal does not go blind.