Jewelry Materials

Solid gold of at least 14 karat (58.3% gold). Some piercers prefer to use only 18k gold (75% gold) in fresh piercings.

Gold-filled and gold-plated or jewelry is not appropriate. The gold plate is very thin and can wear away quickly with the friction to which body jewelry is exposed.

Some people are sensitive to the alloys present in karat gold (namely nickel, silver, zinc and copper) and cannot tolerate wearing gold jewelry.

Some people's pH (in oral and genital tissues, perspiration) is acidic enough to corrode the alloys in karat gold, evident by blackening of the jewelry and discoloration of the surrounding skin.

White gold often causes more adverse reactions than yellow gold of the same karat because a higher concentration of nickel is used to yield the white color. White gold alloyed with palladium, an inert metal of the platinum group, instead of nickel is preferable for wear in new piercings. Some people who cannot wear steel alloys can wear 18k white gold palladium alloys.

Green or pink gold should not be worn because of the higher concentration of copper and zinc used to produce the color.

Gold jewelry may acquire a surface discoloration when exposed to iodine (Betadine) and when autoclaved. Use of heat indicator packaging or tape often results in discoloration. This discoloration is not true oxidation, which only takes place at the melting point of the alloys present. Jewelry discolored by iodine or heating can be repolished to its previous shine.

Over a long period of time gold jewelry exposed to urine may acquire a rough, dull surface. The acids found in urine leach into the surface and dries to form a hard crust. Buffing or polishing the jewelry will remove this build- up. Daily cleaning of the jewelry will prevent this build-up.

Platinum and metals in the platinum group such as Palladium are completely inert, making them excellent choices for body jewelry (barring alloys). However, platinum is economically impractical for most manufacturers and consumers. Platinum is also very heavy which may make it an inappropriate choice for some piercings.

Palladium gold alloys is similar to 18k gold in cost.

Sterling silver should never be worn in a fresh or unhealed piercing or in a piercing that is located in a moist area of the body (mouth, lip, navel, genital). Silver oxidizes very easily when exposed to moisture. When worn in a fresh piercing the skin often absorbs the oxide and the piercing darkens or turns grey, usually permanently. Silver causes chemical irritation which can result in scarring. Silver is very soft and is easily scratched; scratches in the jewelry surface irritate the piercing and trap bacteria. Silver captive beads should not be worn on new piercings.

An elemental metal, strong yet flexible; slightly heavier than 316L stainless. Niobium is non-reactive chemically; few people are sensitive to niobium. The wide array of colors achieved through anodizing (not dyeing), in which the jewelry is submerged in an electrolite solution. Anodizing forms an oxide layer on the jewelry. The color seen is light refracted through this layer; the thickness of the layer determines the particular color produced. The voltage applied during anodizing determines the thickness of the oxide layer and hence the resulting color. The anodized layer of oxide will eventually wear away; how long the process will take depends on how thick the oxide layer is and the amount of friction and wear on the jewelry. Some colors will start to fade within 6 months.

Matte black is achieved by heating the niobium until it is red-hot and cooling it. After blackening, the jewelry can be polished to a certain degree. Black niobium will not fade; rather, it will deepen and grow smoother with age and wear.

Niobium jewelry is available in matte ("satin") or high-polish ("mirror") finishes. Very rough-finished niobium should not be used for fresh/unhealed piecings, as the pores present in the matte finish can trap bacteria as well as retain polishing-compound residue which can be toxic. The rough finish will also have a tendency to "stick" to new piercings via dried discharge, which can cause the newly-formed tissue to rupture, extending healing time.

Of the many stainless steels available, only 316L or LVM is suitable for use as body jewelry. 316L is a low-carbon variety of 316. 316LVM is 316L, Vacuum Melted when manufactured. The low pressure prevents any air / airborne contaminants to attach to the molecules in the metal, resulting in a more consistent steel. For most people, however, that the steel be 316LVM is not a necessity to heal and maintain a healthy piercing.

The jewelry should be polished to a reflective shine (mirror-finish), free from rough edges, tool marks, wire-drawing lines and pitting which is present in the surface of the steel when it arrives from the mill. When polished, true 316L is a white, not grey, metal. Under-polishing will be most evident along the inside of the ring, where polishing is most difficult.

316L arrives from the steel manufacturer at specified degrees of hardness. Most jewelry manufacturers use the least-hard (1/4 hard) steel available for rings. Working the steel and forming the steel into rings hardens it to some degree. Annealing, a controlled heating and cooling process performed in a vacuum, yields a more flexible steel, resistant to metal fatigue. Most piercers and jewelry manufacturers agree that steel rings should be annealed to some degree after forming or formed from annealed wire, as an annealed ring is easier to safely and quickly manipulate for insertion; in the thinner gauges, pliers are often unnecessary.

On the other hand, some manufacturers feel that annealing the thinner gauges (18 through 14ga) makes the ring too malleable to maintain its shape and retain the bead. However, for most applications annealed rings are safe. For piercings subject to enough pressure to reshape the ring, a thicker gauge is advised. Depending on the gauge and diameter, annealing limits the minimum bead size which can be used (eg. a soft 14ga 5/8" ring would not securely hold a bead smaller than 7/32").

The more a ring is annealed, the easier the finish is scratched from tools or simply from daily wear. The trade-off is that the harder rings require tools to manipulate, which increases the chance of damage during insertion. A non- annealed or close to full-hard ring will break under stress, when the ring is torqued open. Fractures invisible to the unaided eye may be created. These breaks can trap bacteria and lymph discharge and complicate the healing process.

The importance of manufacturing the barbell balls, their threads and ring beads of 316L has been questioned by some manufacturers and piercers, but it is the author9s opinion that any part of the jewelry in contact with the openings of the piercing or with bodily secretions should be of 316L or of one of the other metals suitable for use in piercings.

316L is classified as an austenitic steel. Austenitic steels are generally non magenetic when annealed, although some may become slightly magnetic by cold working.

Titanium is an extremely lightweight elemental metal similar to Niobium. The specific alloy used for body jewelry is 6AL4V (60 parts aluminum, 40 parts vanadium), specifically 136 grade with extra low interstitial elements.

"[Titanium's] substantially inert surface oxide has high integrity and tenacity. The oxide will, if scratched or damaged, immediately restore itself in the presence of air or water. The film is stable over a wide range of pH, electro-potentials and temperature, particularly in neutral and oxidising environments." While the titanium alloy contains aluminum and vanadium, the oxide layer does not contain any traces of either element.

Titanium is the most bio-compatible of all metals due to its total resistance to attack by body fluids. Titanium is often used in permanent surgical implants where the tissue is encouraged to assimilate the implant. The body will readily accept titanium because of its non-reactive quality; in the case of implants, the pores allow for the tissue to attach.

Titanium jewelry is available in a range of colors through anodizing. Unanodized, titanium is medium grey in color and polishes to a smooth finish. Titanium and its oxide are harder than niobium; hence the color of anodized titanium usually lasts longer than that of niobium.

Titanium is extremely porous. Thus it is very difficult to achieve a smooth finish.

Surgical Stainless Steel: The term "surgical stainless steel" is not a technical term. It is a term that was originally coined by knife and cookware manufactures. It brought more marketable value to the material that they used. "Surgical stainless steel" is a generic term for a variety of different grades of steel and is not commonly found in any medical or metallurgical reports. There are no standards set for this type of metal.

Implant Grade Stainless Steel: "Implant grade stainless steel" is a more accurate term for the steel used in body jewelry. There are standards set for what materials can be called implant grade. There are currently only two different types of stainless steel that commonly match these standards: 316L and 316LVM. These materials have been employed successfully in human implants that are in contact with soft tissue and bone for more than a decade.

316L and 316LVM: Designations for types of steel that meet the standards for "implant grade." 316 is the designation number. The "L" in these two designations stands for low carbon. The "VM" stands for vacuum melted. Both of these materials meet the ASTM designation F138 for "Implant Grade Stainless steel" and the ISO standard 5832-1 and 6892 for "Surgical Implant Material" and "Requirements Against Nickel Allergies."

American Society of Testing and Materials: The ASTM is a non-governmental organization that compiles information and makes standards for manufacturing, materials, and methods for just about everything. These standards are considered to be of the highest qualities.

International Organization for Standards: The ISO (which is not an acronym, it is short for the Greek word isos meaning equal) is the European equivalent of the ASTM. The ISO is trying to standardize all European trade and manufacturing methods.

ASTM "F" Series: The "F" series of the ASTM designations concern "medical grade materials" and are the guidelines for FDA approval of materials used in medical products. Responsible manufactures of any medical product comply with these standards.

ASTM F138 Grade 1 & 2: F138 is the designation number for the "Standard Specification for Stainless Steel Bar and Wire for Surgical Implants." This standard characterizes composition and properties to insure consistency for medical implant devices. 316L adheres to grade 1 and 316LVM adheres to grades 1 and 2. Implant Grade Stainless Steel is chemically inert and atraumatic to the body so as not to react with the surrounding tissues or the immune system.

The milling of stainless steel wire used in captive bead rings (not to be confused with bar stock that is used in barbells) work-hardens the wire to a point that it loses some of its corrosion resistance properties. It requires these properties to be considered implant grade.

Annealing is a process of heat treating metal. It involves heating steel to about one half of its melting point and cooling it in a controlled environment. Annealing stainless steel serves to produce changes in the physical condition, mechanical properties and residual stress levels of the metal. Specifically, the annealing process serves to reduce the corrosive tendencies of the work-hardened metal. During annealing, chromium carbides, which markedly decrease resistance to inter-granular corrosion, are dissolved. Annealing literally cleans up the metal.

We all know that annealed jewelry is easier to work with, and what we need to understand is that non-annealed jewelry might not be safe to use in piercings.

There are purposes for polishing the surface of bead rings other than aesthetics. A mirror finish is required for implant devices; the metal cannot be gray, blurred, or dull. When finished properly, stainless steel is resistant to degradation by the body's internal environment. Having a mirror finish will improve impact strength, decrease corrosion, and produce a non-porous surface that will not harbor bacteria.

Individuals do not have problems with the material content. Rather, they have problems if the material is not finished properly and breaks apart due to wear, fatigue, and material fragment build ups. The surface of the metal must be free of any nicks, scratches, or burrs that increase surface area and allow for bacterial colonization which interferes with the body's healing process.