Materials
The material that goes into your skin matters more than how it looks. Each material we sell has its place. And not all of them belong in a piercing that is still healing.
Titanium (ASTM F136): for fresh piercings
Implant-grade titanium is the material with the lowest nickel content, at trace level. That is why it is highly biocompatible. In a fresh piercing, redness and discharge from nickel are easily mistaken for normal healing. That is why it is the material we recommend for a new piercing.
- Trace-level nickel, biocompatible
- Light, even in larger pieces
Surgical Steel (316L): for healed piercings
316L surgical steel is durable and affordable, and suits a healed piercing. It contains trace nickel. If you are nickel-sensitive, move to titanium.
14K Gold (585): for healed piercings
Real gold, not plating: it does not wear through or lose its colour. 14K is 58.5% gold and the rest alloy. The alloy varies by maker, so ask us before ordering if you are sensitive to nickel. For a piercing that is still healing we recommend titanium; wear gold once it has settled.
Bioplast: when flex is what you need
A flexible, biocompatible polymer. Chosen over metal for sport and for workplaces with safety rules, and often used in the mouth.
What gauge means
Gauge is the diameter of the bar that passes through the piercing. Not the size of the stone. It has to match what you already wear: thicker will not go in, thinner lets the hole shrink. Every product page states both the millimetre and the international G number.
| Gauge | Where it is used |
|---|---|
| 1 mm (18G) | Nostril, fine helix |
| 1.2 mm (16G) | Ear and cartilage piercings, tragus, eyebrow |
| 1.6 mm (14G) | Navel, tongue, nipple, industrial |
Certification
Our titanium is made from ASTM F-136 implant-grade material. Write to us if you would like to see the supplier’s certificate. There is a copy in the studio as well.
Why we don’t sell plated jewelry
Gold-plated and silver pieces are cheap, but plating wears through and the alloy underneath then meets your skin. Silver can also leave a permanent grey stain in the tissue. That is why they are not in our catalogue.