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What's it made from?
No matter what material body jewellery is made from, there will be some people who are allergic to it. They may not even know until they try to wear some. Most body jewellery is made from 316 surgical grade stainless steel. Most people can wear these with no problems. Titanium is more "biocompatible" than stainless steel, so there are fewer problems associated with it. Many of the fancy navel bananabells, navel shields and toe rings are made from or contain sterling silver. These will be stamped with the '925' stamp unless they are too small to stamp. Other materials include acrylics and other plastics, and even silicon or latex rubber, all of which are safe to use in body jewellery. The crystals that are used in some of the jewellery, are not precious or semi-precious stones unless specified. None of the jewellery has been autoclaved (sterlised), so they are not suitable for new piercings. Please allow your piercing to heal well before changing styles. Although each piece has been cleaned, it may be a good idea to give them another clean-up with alcohol or anti-microbial cleanser before use. Only use clean body jewellery even in healed piercings.
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Size does matter!
The size of body jewellery is made up of a few different things. When the main part of the jewellery is a bar or ring, the thickness is referred to as it's "gauge". The bars will also have a length measured between the balls, in mm or inches, and rings will have an internal diameter. Curved bars are measured in a straight line between the balls. Other jewellery such as flesh tunnels and plugs will have an external diameter, and may be in mm or a gauge. The most common bar thickness is "14 gauge", which is 1.6mm thick. Many piercings would be rejected if the jewellery was thinner than this. Eyebrow piercings can be 16 gauge, which is thinner than 14 gauge. Belly button piercings are usually best done with 14 gauge. Normal ear-rings, such as studs and sleepers are often 18 gauge and are easily rejected by the body. They also tear the skin more easily if caught. Stretched piercings can be quite large, such as 10mm in diameter. When ordering jewellery, make sure you know what size your piercing is, and order the right size jewellery for what you need, because it can't be returned if you make a mistake. Who wants to buy jewellery that someone else may have already used?
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Barbells
Barbells are a straight bar with a threaded attachment at either end. The attachment is usually a ball, but other shapes such as cones, drums or clusters of balls may be used. Some piercings would be uncomfortable with certain attachments. Barbells are often used in the tongue, nipples, eyebrow and many genital piercings.
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Bananabells
Bananabells (curved barbells) are sometimes more comfortable than a straight barbell, especially in belly piercings. The simple bananabells consist of a curved bar, with a threaded attachment at either end. The more fancy bananabells may have sterling silver or stainless steel designs that are often fixed to one end of the bar, while the other end has a threaded attachment that will undo so you can wear the jewellery. Bananabells are mostly used in navel piercings, but also in the eyebrow, nipples and genitals.
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Circular Barbells
Circular barbells are barbells that have been curved to almost make a circle. They usually have two threaded attachments. They are measured by their gauge (bar thickness) and their internal diameter. They are often used in the navel, nipples, nasal septum and genitals.
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BCR's
BCR's (Bead Captive Rings) are also known as ball captive rings, captive ball rings, or just rings. They consist of a partial ring that holds a ball or bead under tension. Metal BCR's need ring pliers to loosen the tension and remove the bead. Acrylic and thin metal ones are easily spread by hand. BCR's are often used in eyebrows, nipples, lip, the navel and many genital piercings.
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Labrets
Labrets are similar to barbells, except they have one threaded attachment and the other end is generally a fixed disc. This makes them suitable to wear in places where a full size ball would be uncomfortable, such as below the lower lip, as "beauty spots" and female genital piercings.
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Navel Shields
Navel Shields are relatively new on the body jewellery scene. They are usually made of either sterling silver or stainless steel. To fit a shield to a bananabell, take off the top attachment of the bananabell and slide the bar through the hole in the shield. The lower ball of the bananabell will usually be 8mm in diameter and there is an indented area in the design where the ball will fit snugly into. Then just put the bananabell on as normal, putting the bar through the piercing and threading the attachment at the top.
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Nipple Shields
Nipple shields are usually secured with a barbell, slightly longer than would normally be worn in the nipple. The shield is held in place over the nipple and the barbell is inserted through the piercing, threading the attachment at the end. Some shields have holes that the barbell passes through for additional security and to keep the design upright.
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