A note on holiday shopping: Because all of our jewelry is made-to-order by hand, we make sure to take the time that’s needed to create a gorgeous piece of jewelry just for you. This also means that you have to order your holiday gifts early in order to receive them on time. Be sure to check the production time on each piece (located in the product description) to get an idea of how long it will take to ship.
Buying clothes or jewelry for anyone, even if you know them better than anyone else, can be a challenge. What we wear is an expression of ourselves, and our clothing and jewelry choices can be subjective. You might think that you’ve found an item that your loved one will adore, and it never makes it out of their closet.
When it comes to body jewelry, you have to deal with additional challenges. The location and size of their piercing will dictate the size of the jewelry, you have to be aware of safe materials and design choices (like internal versus external threading), and body jewelry is difficult to return, due to the fact that it enters the body, and returns may be unsanitary.
But, don’t let these factors intimidate you. Body jewelry can be an outstanding gift choice. If you’re able to find that perfect piece for their piercing, it will show your person that you have seen and understood them. More than buying a simple pearl necklace or tennis bracelet, buying a stunning piece of piercing jewelry takes care, commitment, and observation and lets your loved one know how much you truly care.
Purchasing body jewelry as a gift is a matter of doing some sleuthing to figure out sizing and style choices alongside understanding your loved one’s personal style. We’re here to help you out. Or, if you’re still lost by the end of the article, we have a way to make purchasing body jewelry easy.
There are a few things that you need to consider when purchasing body jewelry as a gift:
Let’s talk about each one of these in detail.
The type of jewelry that you choose will be dictated by two things: piercing location and the style that your loved one prefers.
Depending on the location of the piercing, it may only take certain styles of jewelry. (For example, an eyebrow piercing can only accept curved barbells, circular barbells, or hoop styles.) This is to discourage piercing rejection and ensure the safety of the piercing. For more details, check out our body piercing sizing chart.
The thing that you should really pay attention to when choosing the type of jewelry is what your loved one wears now. They will likely already have a style preference, and you should use that as a clue. For example, if they have a tragus piercing, and they mostly wear small studs in their tragus piercing, shop for small studs. There are loads of stud options to choose from, so you don’t have to worry about choosing something that they already have.
Once you’ve chosen the type of jewelry, you need to figure out the size that’s needed. The length of the jewelry is measured either by the diameter (if it’s a hoop) or by the length of the barbell. This is important for both aesthetics and safety of the piercing.
The jewelry needs to be big enough so that it doesn’t tug at the piercing holes and small enough that it doesn’t easily snag on hair, clothing, or other items. There is a little bit of wiggle room to account for aesthetics; some people like to have larger hoops and barbells while others prefer more of a flush fit.
An easy way to determine the proper size of the jewelry is to take a look at the jewelry that they already have. When your loved one is away, snag a piece of their body jewelry to measure. You can measure it on your own, but it might be a good idea to take the piece to a piercer who can tell you its measurements. Then, when you go to buy your body jewelry piece online, you’ll know its exact size. Pro tip: make sure that the piece of jewelry that you snag is one that they actually wear. You don’t want to accidentally grab an old piece of body jewelry that doesn’t fit well.
Check to see how your loved one’s jewelry fits. Do they prefer larger or smaller hoops, for example?
The gauge refers to the thickness of the bar that will go through the piercing itself. It will need to be pretty exact; if it’s too small, it will sit loose in the piercing, and if it’s too big, it could stretch the piercing and become uncomfortable.
An important thing to note with gauge sizes is that the higher the gauge number, the smaller the gauge itself. For example, 16G is 1.2mm while 12G is 2.0mm. Additionally, gauges are listed in even numbers, so 16G is only one size larger than 18G.
Just like you do when you determine the length or diameter of the jewelry, you should consult a piercer to determine the correct gauge of the jewelry that you order.
This, surprisingly, may be the most difficult part of the process. Determining the type of jewelry that your loved one prefers is a bit different than determining the style. For example, your loved one may prefer hoops in their daith piercing, but there are loads of hoop designs to choose from. You’ll need to know your loved one pretty well in order to determine what they’ll like.
If you feel as though you really know your loved one’s style, try designing a custom piece! Simply fill out a custom order form, and our jewelers will be in touch about ideas.
Listen, we get that gift cards aren’t always the most exciting gift, especially during the holiday season, but when it comes to high-end body jewelry, you want to know that you’re doing it right.
We offer easy-to-use gift cards so that your loved one can pick out their favorite jewelry item themselves. They’ll love the gesture and the fact that you want to buy them a stunning piece of body jewelry for the piercing that they love.
And don’t worry, you can make a gift card something that they’re excited to open. Add a little gift with the card. Wrap the card in a special way to show that you took some time. Include photos of some of your favorite items that you think they’ll like. Write a long, heartfelt note to show that the gift card wasn’t just a last-minute idea.
Still a little lost? Here are some of our favorite pieces in common styles to help you visualize the type of jewelry you need to shop for.
Studs come with two backing types: flat back and ball end. Flat-back studs can go in nearly any piercing that takes a stud, and they offer more of a flush fit. Lip piercings must always use flat back studs so that the backing doesn’t rub against the teeth and gums. Ball ends stick out a little bit in the back, so they are only appropriate for cartilage piercings where the flush fit doesn’t matter.
Straight barbells consist of a straight bar with two ball ends. These are usually worn in nipple piercings, surface piercings (like bridge piercings or nape piercings), industrial piercings, and tongue piercings.
These are similar to a straight barbell, but the barbell has a slight curve to it. They are worn in certain cartilage piercings (like rook piercings), eyebrow piercings, and nipple piercings.
Closer to hoops than barbells, circular barbells are shaped like a horseshoe with bead ends. They can be worn in any piercing that accepts hoops, like septum piercings, eyebrow piercings, nipple piercings, cartilage piercings, belly piercings, and more.
Another hoop style, captive bead rings have a gap in order to place the jewelry in the piercing which is then closed with a bead.
Other hoop styles differ only by the way that they are inserted into the piercing. Seamless rings must be twisted in order to separate the ends, clicker rings have a hinged segment to open, and segment rings have a section that is taken out in order to insert. Which one your loved one chooses is up to personal preference.
Nose studs are characterized by different prong types: L-shape, twisted, and bone. Most people have a preference for which one, and you will need to check your loved one’s jewelry to see which they prefer.
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