The Best Materials for Body Jewellery
The Best Materials for Body Jewellery
As there are many kinds of piercings, there are also various types of piercing jewellery and different materials are used in the making of these. Body jewellery can be divided into two categories for this purpose: best materials for initial piercings and best materials for healed piercings.
The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) recommends only 7 materials that should be used for new piercings. This is because they are biocompatible, do not irritate the skin, contain no nickel and promote healing. Once the piercing has healed, many more material options become available to the piercee.
Materials Recommended for New Piercings
The two most common hypoallergenic materials used for initial piercings are ASTM F-136 titanium (Ti6Al4V ELI) also known as G23 titanium and 316L or 316LVM surgical steel. Most initial piercing jewellery is made of these materials since they are biocompatible.
Although surgical steel contains trace amounts of nickel, it is manufactured in such a way that the outer layer of the jewellery that is in contact with the fistula is free of the metal. Gold that is 14K or higher can be used for initial piercings as it is cadmium and nickel free.
Other piercing materials recommended by the APP are biocompatible polymers, niobium, platinum, and glass.
Body Jewellery Materials for Healed Piercings
Once the piercing has healed, the piercee can choose from a large variety of materials, including metals as well as organic substances. For people with sensitive skin who have nickel allergies, there are some limitations as some metals used for body jewellery are alloyed with it.
Gold and sterling silver are precious metals that are often used in high-end piercing jewellery. Gold comes in a variety of purity levels such as 9K, 10K, 14K which are all used for the production of jewellery.
The type of silver used in piercing jewellery is typically 92.5 sterling silver although other silver grades are sometimes also used. Borosilicate glass which is medical grade, tempered, porous and lead-free is also used in the production of some body jewellery.
Other non-metallic and inorganic piercing materials include nylon, teflon and silicon. Organic materials typically used in the manufacture of premium body jewellery include wood, bone, stone, horn, pearl and amber.
Wood is available abundantly and in numerous different colours and shades. It is normally used in combination with surgical steel or titanium ends and posts or for plugs and tunnels. Bone and horn are commonly white or cream coloured and are sourced only from deceased animals. There are also a plethora of different types of stones used as piercing materials. From genuine precious gems such as diamonds to synthetic stones like cubic zirconia (CZ) stones, crystals as well as non-precious stones.
Publication date and/or Last Updated: July 26, 2023
Author: cesar@suprank.com
Views: 531
Copyright Holder: Acha Co., Ltd.
Company info: WholesaleBodyJewellery is owned and operated by Acha, a leading manufacturer and online supplier of piercing jewellery with more than 20 years in the industry.
