Metal Types & Grades Used For Body Jewellery

STEEL
Stainless steel is the most common material used today in body piercing. There are various ‘Grades’ of stainless steel, the ones that are suitable for piercing are the ‘300′ grades, more specifically the 316L and 316LVM grades.

The difference between 316L and 316LVM is down to manufacturing processes, 316L comes in stock that is machined to size, whereas 316LVM is manufactured at the appropriate sizes and needs no additional machining; resulting in a finer finish with less surface imperfections.

As with any purchase always ensure you purchase body jewellery from reputable suppliers, as there have been cases of cheap imported ‘low grade’ materials being ‘passed off’ as 316L.

Here is a list of materials that are found in 316L (VM) stainless steel:

Carbon

0.03 max

Chromium

16 - 18

Iron

Balance

Manganese

2 max

Molybdenum

2 - 3

Nickel

10 - 14

Phosphorus

0.045 max

Silicon

1 max

Sulphur

0.03 max

TITANIUM
Titanium is the fourth most abundant element. It is found in North America, South America, Europe, Africa, China, Australia, Russia, and many other countries

Although first isolated in 1887 it wasn’t until the 1950’s that Titanium found it’s niche in the aviation industry, mainly due to its low density, high strength to weight ratio and the protective layer formed which gives excellent resistance to corrosion.

Titanium is used for medical applications as diverse as:

  • Heart valves
  • replacement joints
  • pacemakers

Titanium is particularly well suited to body piercing for the above reasons, although it should be noted that as with all metals, a suitable grade should always be used, ‘grade 23′ titanium is approved for such use and you should NEVER take ’shortcuts’ with titanium (or any material to be placed in your body).

NIOBIUM
Discovered in 1844, Niobium takes its name from the daughter of the Greek God Tantalus, Niobe. It wasn’t until 1866 that a method to chemically separate Tantalum and Niobium was devised

This metal, also known as Columbium in the Americas, is a wonder of the modern age it is used in projects as diverse as:

  • the space program
  • nuclear reactors
  • medical imaging

Niobium has also found a more hedonistic niche in the world of body art because of its excellent characteristics; chiefly it’s highly inert when implanted and forms a layer of dense, stable and adhesive oxide (Pentoxide), which gives it the distinctive bluish colouring.

For more info on Niobium check out http://www.tanb.org/

GOLD
This precious metal which has been worn in pierced and non-pierced applications since, virtually the dawn of mankind, is not always suitable for your piercing!

9 Carat Gold is NOT suitable for use in piercings, due to the alloys, which are added to it.

14 Carat Gold (about 58 pure) is suitable for use in piercings (once healed). This type of Gold is generally used for ‘threaded’ jewellery (barbells, labrets and circular barbells) because 18 Carat is considered by many to be too soft for reliable ‘threading’ although some companies do supply 18 Carat treaded jewellery.

18 Carat is suitable for all ‘non-threaded’ jewellery, BCR’s, Nostril studs etc.

PTFE
PolyTetraFluoroEthylene is not a metal but a remarkable polymer, which is ideally suited for medical implantation, or making sure your eggs and bacon don’t get stuck to the pan! PTFE is inert due to the fact that it repels everything. (Even bacon and eggs!)

Roy Plunkett discovered PTFE at DuPont’s labs in the late 1930’s since then PTFE (or Teflon to give its trade name) has found uses in many applications. Frying pan’s, plumbing and Body Jewellery to name just a few.