Tag: jewellery

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Piercing Retainer 101

Now that school is back in session and everyone is back in work, we are being asked ‘what is the best way to hide my piercing?’ We also frequently get asked what to wear when undertaking medical procedures such as MRIs and surgery. There are a few different options to consider in terms of piercing retainer, and we will discuss them today.

The MRI Machine was invented in Nottingham. One of our little claims to fame!

Do I Even Need a Retainer?

The biggest thing to consider is, do I actually need a retainer in the first place? There are a few things to consider in this case. Firstly, how old is your piercing? A well-healed piercing can usually sustain itself without jewellery for a short while, such as for the duration of an MRI which usually lasts between 15 and 90 minutes. For MRIs and other short procedures, it is recommended to remove your jewellery just before the procedure, and reinsert it as promptly as possible afterwards. You may need an insertion tool or taper to help you do this, which we recommend buying in advance. If you are not confident in changing or reinserting your jewellery yourself and have a medical procedure coming up then please get in touch! We are more than happy to help you remove and reinsert your jewellery absolutely free of charge in the case of medical procedures. You do need to book this, so give us a phone call to avoid paying the checkup fee.

If your piercing is still relatively young, or is in a placement that closes more quickly such as an oral piercing, it is best to choose a retainer in advance of when you need it.

The Gold Standard Retainer

Even though our jewellery is ASTM F-136 Titanium or solid 14k and 18k Gold which are all totally MRI safe, a lot of medical practitioners will ask you to remove your jewellery before procedures regardless. If you feel confident in doing so, you can self-advocate to your MRI technician and medical team. We are happy to provide you with the paperwork required to prove your jewellery is MRI safe if you need it. However if you do need to remove your jewellery, for example if your procedure is on your head or face, then do consider a retainer. If your procedure is longer than an hour, we’d recommend purchasing glass jewellery as a retainer. Glass is the perfect retainer piece, being inert and transparent so as not to leave an afterimage on any x-rays or imaging work you have done. Lead-free Borosilicate Glass is also totally nonporous and body safe – It is truly the gold standard. If you have a procedure coming up, we highly recommend contacting us to organise ordering glass retainers for any piercings that you are worried may close. 

Glass is one of the best materials for body piercing and is usually the material of choice for stretching amongst professional piercers, although you do not need to stretch your piercings to wear it. Glass jewellery is available in every size and thickness! One of the biggest advantages of glass for piercing jewellery is its non-porous, extremely smooth surface. This allows for easy and frictionless insertion and removal of the jewellery. It also means that the jewellery can be easily cleaned and will not collect bacteria as with a porous structure such as acrylic, plastic or wood.

Aside from being great for medical reasons, glass is also a handy way of concealing piercings for work or school. Glass is shiny though, so do consider Neometal ‘Freckle’ Discs if you want something extremely subtle. 

Glass jewellery is not only beautiful, but a perfect material to wear as a retainer.

The Unsafe Piercing Retainer

Retainers, although intended for short term wear, should still be implant-grade and body safe. Anything that is inserted into the body needs to be safe to wear. So where does plastic jewellery stand? Plastic jewellery is pervasive in the piercing industry. Whether that be under specific brand names, in the form of flexible a plastic ‘retainer’ or classic acrylic jewellery, plastic jewellery is everywhere. So why do we not stock it here at Rogue? What is the issue with flexible plastic jewellery?

Here you can see a plastic retainer under an SEM electron microscope. Bacteria will live and grow very quickly in this cozy matrix of holes. Your body will be permanently irritated by the rough texture, too.

The main issue with plastic jewellery is that plastic is porous and rough in texture, and made from unregulated mystery polymers. When something is porous, it means that it is covered in small holes that allow liquids to pass through. This means that bacteria and other nasties have crevices in which to grow. This biofilm can cause severe irritation to a piercing, alongside causing nasty odours and excessive crusting. The roughness of the texture of plastic also means that it is constantly rubbing the inside of your piercing like sandpaper. This can cause irritation bumps, scar tissue formation, and can significantly damage the inside of your piercing. There is little research into plastics that act as an implant such as in piercings, however a study performed in 2016 showed that plastic or teflon jewellery was found to carry up to ten times more bacteria and biofilm than the same type of jewellery made from highly-polished Titanium, (Borges et al, 2016). This study also viewed the different jewellery under a microscope to visualise the difference in surface finish and bacterial buildup (yummy!).

There is so much more biofilm present on the plastic jewellery – This porous surface allows buildup and irritation.

All this aside, the number one reason why Rogue does not stock plastic jewellery is because we simply do not know what it is made from. There are seven main categories of plastic, however there are thousands of different plastic polymers with their own composition and characteristics. No plastic jewellery manufacturer is willing to divulge the exact plastics they use. With every single piece of jewellery we stock, we receive certification that it is A) What it says it is, and B) Made from a material proven to be implant-grade and safe to wear. We simply do not have this information for plastic jewellery. Some plastics have been shown to release carcinogenic or toxic compounds at body temperature, such as when ingested. All plastic jewellery degrades over time, and can cause issues at any point. It’s our prerogative to provide our clients with safe jewellery that can last a lifetime, which is why plastic is not offered at Rogue. If you do have plastic jewellery as a piercing retainer, do use it as a last resort and remember that it is only recommended to wear for a maximum of 8 hours before being discarded. Plastic is not at all made for long-term wear.

The main takeaways from this are that we are here to help! If you cannot get jewellery back in after a procedure, we can help you. If you need a piercing retainer for long-term wear then we can order items in for you too. We just want to see happy and healthy piercings out there! 

Contact Us

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hello@roguepiercing.co.uk (General Enquiries)

kat@roguepiercing.co.uk (Custom orders, Jewellery Enquiries.)

References

Borges, L.P., Ferreira-Filho, J.C.C., Martins, J.M., Alves, C.V., Santiago, B.M. and Valença, A.M.G. (2016). In VitroAdherence of Oral Bacteria to Different Types of Tongue Piercings. The Scientific World Journal, [online] 2016, pp.1–6. Available at: https://www.hindawi.com/journals/tswj/2016/7349371/ [Accessed 23 Sep. 2021].

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Nose Piercings 101

Nose piercings are incredibly popular amongst all ages, all genders, all walks of life. They can be part of self expression, cultural tradition, or self-discovery. We absolutely adore a nose piercing. Here you’ll find an overview of nose piercings, their aftercare, and what to expect in terms of healing and jewellery options!

Placement

There are many places on the nose that can be pierced. Not all are easy, not all are to everyone’s taste, but we love how much of a blank canvas the nose is.

Traditional nose piercings are exactly what most people imagine when thinking about a nose piercing. They sit about 8mm from the edge of the nose, below the nasal crease. Some people will want their nose piercings directly on the nasal crease, but we do not recommend this as it is the thickest part of the cartilage, where two cartilage plates meet. This means that ‘nasal crease’ piercings can be very tricky to heal. Traditional nose piercings are the most common type, and have the largest range of jewellery choices once healed.

Here are my nostrils! All BVLA, all the time.

High Nostril piercings are their own subset of nose piercings, and are easily the most tricky to heal. High nostril piercings are defined as any nose piercing placed above the nasal crease. Some piercers will split them into two secondary categories depending on their height. For example, we would define my (Kat) nostrils as ‘mid-nostrils’ even though technically by our own definition they are high nostrils. High nostrils, when done correctly by a skilled piercer, can be practically against the bone of the nose bridge. High nostrils are not to be taken on lightly and can take upwards of 9-12 months to fully heal. Aiden is incredibly experienced with high nostrils, and has done many sets for other piercers too!

This set of high nostrils was done on the lovely Gemma of Pierce of Art! You can see them in comparison to a set of traditional nostrils below with the black jewellery.

Mantis piercings are a relatively new trend in nose piercings. Otherwise known as ‘forward facing nostrils,’ these are nose piercings that pass through the front or tip of the nose. Mantis piercings can be a trickier heal and are complex to mark and pierce. It is so easy for a tiny discrepancy in angle or placement to throw the whole thing. We would love to do more forward facing nostril piercings if the right client chose them!

Jewellery Choices

Nose piercings have a few options in terms of jewellery. Some are good for fresh piercings, some are good for healed piercings, and some are not great for piercings in general!

Studs

Studs, or flat-back labrets, are the perfect style of jewellery to start nose piercings with. The straight bar means than any excess length for swelling is neatly tucked away, and the healing piercing can drain easily and without issue. Flat-back labrets are very comfortable to wear and look unobtrusive even with extra room for swelling!

Labrets are incredibly secure, and do not carry the same risk of loss that a nostril screw or nose bone do. We will talk about those guys in a minute! Labrets are comfortable, and do not give you that big ‘metal bogey’ sensation. You also can’t see them sticking out of your nose. Winner!

All of our threadless ends are compatible with these labrets, which means you have a huge amount of jewellery to choose from for your initial piercing. You can see our full range of jewellery in-studio, or on our webstore.

You can read more about labrets, the different styles of connection, and the argument of rings vs studs here.

Rings

Rings are a really classic look for nose piercings. It’s usually the end-goal style, and are incredibly popular! However, they are only really suitable for healed piercings. Healed nose piercings do not need extra room for swelling and drainage, and do not need a stopper ‘design’ to avoid irritating your fresh piercing with a seam or hinge. We highly recommend waiting a minimum of three months before swapping to a ring, so your piercing has a chance to heal and settle before changing to this slightly more irritating style of jewellery.

If you chose to start with a ring, it would usually not be the style of ring you imagine! This ring would have to be much thicker in gauge, and larger in diameter, to allow for your initial swelling and drainage of fluids (yummy!). This ring would also mean you are much more likely to snag your piercing, knock it, or rotate and twist it to introduce bacteria. All of these can irritate your piercing and extend your healing time. If you are set on a ring, it’s important to know what you are getting yourself into!

Left: Dainty ring for healed piercings. Right: The style of ring suitable for a fresh nose piercing!

Nostril Screws and Nose Bones

Nostril screws, nose bones and other styles of jewellery are easily lost and made of poor quality materials.

The other options for nostril piercings are nostril screws and nose bones. Nostril screws are those classic ‘corkscrew’ type pieces which you spiral into the piercing and are held in place via the curvature of the post. Nose bones are straight posts with a sharp point or small ball on the inside, so when inserted the ball is pushed through and holds the jewellery in place. We do not recommend either style of jewellery for long term wear, especially nose bones as they can damage your piercing! The main reason these types of jewellery are used is because they are incredibly cheap to manufacture in comparison to high quality threaded or threadless jewellery. There is no real benefit to you as the final customer.

These styles of jewellery lack security, and are the most common cause of lost piercings! They are often made from mystery metals and are cheaply manufactured. We only recommend nostrils screws for well-healed piercings, and only for temporary wear. If your nose piercing is irritated, it is best to swap to a high-quality flat-back labret as a first port of call.

The Piercing Process

Nose piercings are incredibly easy to get, and are not that uncomfortable to get! They do make your eyes water, but this is simply because your eyes don’t need an excuse to water.

The most uncomfortable part of the piercing is usually any clamps and tools that are used. Luckily, we do not use any clamps or tools for nose piercings so they are much more comfortable process for you. For each piercing, we use a single sterile tri-bevel needle, our hands, and your jewellery. Nothing else! This freehand technique is both easier for you, and produces less waste to go to landfill or be incinerated.

Once your nose has been cleaned, marked, disinfected and you are happy with the position, we ask you to lie down. We find that being pierced lying down is much less intimidating for you! Once you are ready, you are asked to take a nice calm breath in. On your exhale is when we pierce you. Once you have been pierced, we pause to insert the jewellery and then you are done! The whole process takes about 5-10 seconds.

Nose Piercing Aftercare

For our full aftercare instructions, click here.

For nose piercings, you want to clean the outside only. The inside of your nose is a self-cleaning location, so you really don’t need to do too much to it at all! The outside of your nose needs to be cleaned just twice a day in the morning and evening, using a sterile saline spray. You want to spritz a little bit onto your piercing, let it soak into any crusties for about thirty seconds, then gently remove any buildup using a piece of folded kitchen roll or nonwoven gauze. Then just pat dry to wick away any excess moisture.

All piercings should be kept dry, which means no bathtubs, hot tubs or swimming for 4-6 weeks. Showers are totally fine though – Just ensure you have some kitchen roll or nonwoven gauze to hand to dry with afterwards!

The final and most important rule is to leave your new piercing alone! You should not be twisting or turning your jewellery, touching your piercing, fiddling with the jewellery or any other action that can disturb your piercing or introduce bacteria.

The Healing Process

Noses are relatively straightforward to heal! We strongly recommend booking a check-up after roughly 4-6 weeks in order for us to downsize the length of your jewellery and check your healing is going well!

You can change the jewellery yourself at home after about 12 weeks if you have been healing well, and you can expect a full heal in about 6 months!

The main cause of issues on nose piercings is overcleaning your piercing and snagging your jewellery, so do just be careful with it and let your body do it’s thing! Getting your downsize at 4-6 weeks is super important to the health of your piercing.

So there you go, an easy overview of nose piercings! There are so many ways to wear them so you can really make them your own. If you have any issues with your nose piercings, please do book a checkup or get in contact so we can help you troubleshoot.

Contact Us

kat@roguepiercing.co.uk

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Septum Stretching 101

It’s pretty common to stretch your lobes – It’s difficult to walk into a tattoo or piercing studio without seeing at least a few people with stretched lobes! However did you know it’s possible to stretch most piercings? Today we will talk about another piercing that can be stretched: Your septum. So lets talk septum stretching!

Firstly, we should talk about the anatomy involved in a septum piercing. Septum piercings are through the ‘sweet spot.’ This sweet spot is a thin, membranous section of the nasal vestibule which is often high and tight to the tip of the nose. This means that a correctly performed septum piercing does not pass through any thick cartilage. However, this thin section of tissue is still not soft and elastic like lobe tissue is! The septum is quite a robust area of anatomy, which makes stretching a unique challenge.

A 3.2mm or 8g septum suits this gentleman perfectly. Sometimes larger jewellery is just the better choice, especially if it is complimenting stronger or more masculine facial features.

Septum Stretching: How to Stretch

We highly recommend finding a reputable piercer to help you stretch your septum. It can be a sore process, so it’s best to let a professional make the experience as smooth as possible. Find your nearest UKAPP or APP member studio and enquire as to wether this is a service they offer! Septum stretching is difficult, and not something that is ideally done at home.

Septums should be stretched using a taper and plenty of water-based lubricant. Ideally, your insertion taper should be exactly the same thickness as your jewellery to avoid discomfort during the jewellery installation process. Your piercer will be able to order and install implant-grade or body safe jewellery in the correct size and design for you, using safe and sterile tools to do so. Please note that not all jewellery is created equally, so ensure you are wearing safe materials!

Your piercer may ask you to lie down or sit up for the stretch itself. As with a piercing, you will be asked to take a slow breath in, and a long breath out while the taper and jewellery are inserted. The stretch itself takes mere seconds, and then jewellery is installed immediately.

Here is a standard Anatometal 16g ring in comparison to a 6g ring! It would take roughly 18 months to stretch between the two sizes. Patience is a virtue when it comes to stretching!

How Often Can You Stretch?

As mentioned above, this is not like stretching an elastic lobe piercing. Septum piercings are more similar to cartilage piercings, and as such cannot be safely stretched relatively quickly. We recommend waiting at least 6-8 months between stretches and only stretching by 0.5mm at a time to avoid seriously damaging your piercing. Stretching septum piercings can take a lifetime if you want it to!

If you know you want to go large, you want to jump-start the process and save yourself a bit of time, then it is definitely worth getting a large-gauge initial septum piercing. We can comfortably pierce septums up to 4mm or 6g if your anatomy is suitable. To stretch from 16g to 6g, leaving the recommended 6-8 months in between, can take roughly two and a half to three years. To have a fully healed initial 6g septum, it can take just 6 months from your initial piercing!

Septum Stretching vs Stacking

Stacked Septum

There are two main ways of stretching – Traditional stretching and stacking! Traditional stretching means inserting a single, larger piece of jewellery. Stacking is the process of inserting more and more small rings into your piercing. This does make a difference! The main difference between the two is that the end shape of your piercing will be dramatically different. When stretching with a single piece of jewellery, you are stretching in every direction with equal pressure so you end up with a perfectly round hole. When stacking with rings, each ring will want to sit behind the one in front and so the pressure will only extend to one direction. This means you end up with a shape more akin to a slot than a circle. You can see some excellent, highly artistic diagrams that I have drawn to illustrate this point.

Traditional Septum

Stretching a septum with a single piece means that you have a perfectly circular hole, whereas a stack gives you in effect a septum coinslot. There is no real benefit to either style, but it does make it trickier to switch between styles. If you try and stack lots of rings into a circular hole then it is tricky to fit as many rings in as you would in a stack as they will all jumble together. If you try and wear a single large piece in a septum stretched using the stacking method, then you can experience discomfort as you distort the inevitable scar tissue caused by the uneven pressure of this method.

Jewellery

The jewellery options for stretched septums is pretty much the same as a standard septum piercing, with some fun additional extras! We love wearing glass in large-gauge piercings. Kat has quite the collection of Gorilla Glass septum pincers, which are the perfect everyday items as they are smooth, comfortable and not super obtrusive.

How Big Can You Go?

There really isn’t a hard and fast upper limit for septum piercings. It really depends on your anatomy, the placement of your existing piercing, and how much time and effort you are willing to invest! Some septums can be stretched to 15-20mm, some are happier around 5mm. If your piercing is poorly placed or your anatomy is not ideal, then a smaller stretch is probably a better idea. This is something that can be assessed by your piercer as you start or continue your stretching journey.

One thing to keep in mind is that the ‘sweet spot’ is only so large. This means that as you stretch, you will eventually run out of space within the sweet spot and begin stretching in to true cartilage. Cartilage doesn’t stretch, so septum stretching does become a war of attrition. This stage of stretching can be very uncomfortable and extends the time needed between stretches! I have now personally reaching that point at 4mm, but everyone is different. The best thing to do is stay in contact with your piercer! This stage of stretching is definitely best left to the professionals.

Septum stretching is a long but rewarding process. It’s cool to see the jewellery you used to wear in comparison to what you wear now.

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For any inquiries about jewellery, contact Kat at kat@roguepiercing.co.uk

For piercing inquiries or general questions, contact hello@roguepiercing.co.uk

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How To Spot Quality Jewellery

A beautiful triple helix pierced with high quality ASTM F-136 Titanium jewellery. So shiny you can see yourself in it!

As piercing grows and rises in popularity, the number of piercers and jewellery companies has exploded. Fortunately, the amount of education and information available on piercings and jewellery is also growing. However as clients become more aware of quality and what to look for, bad jewellery companies and piercers have become wise to this and are beginning to twist the truth in order to continue to sell their poorly made jewellery. By using certain key words, some jewellery sellers are able to mislead their customers into purchasing low quality jewellery.

Here we will discuss what to look for in quality jewellery, and what to avoid when purchasing your own jewellery. We stock only the best in body jewellery, and you can shop these options here!

Metals

The first thing to discuss is what your jewellery is made of. The most common material is metal as it is durable, comfortable and easily available. However, not all metals are made equal.

Steel

Steel is not a single material, but an umbrella term for potentially thousands of different alloys. Only one grade of steel is implant grade and that is ASTM F-138 grade steel. However, the vast majority of steels used in piercing are ‘stainless steel’ and ‘surgical steel.’ Neither of these have any formal definition or safety status, and usually contain nickel and other allergens. One grade of ‘surgical steel’ that is often marketed as body safe is 316L. If you read into 316L, it is actually a low grade of marine steel. This is steel intended for use in heavy machinery, wastewater piping, and the petrochemical industry- not in the human body! These are pretty much the definition of mystery metals! We do not sell steel jewellery because of this. ASTM F-138 steel jewellery from one of our trusted brands can be ordered by request.

Titanium

High Polish, internally threaded Titanium vs low quality, scratched and poorly polished externally threaded jewellery. Which one would you rather wear?

Titanium jewellery is often considered the ‘gold standard’ (no pun intended) of body jewellery, but even titanium has its faults. There are 6 grades of pure Titanium, and multiple alloys. All of these can be marketed to the client as Titanium jewellery. Only one grade is commonly used in body piercing and is also implant grade: ASTM F-136 Titanium. Even this can be misleading! Some brands market themselves as selling ASTM F-136 Titanium jewellery, and yet when they are asked to produce mill certificates to prove this they either cannot provide them, or choose not to, or their certification comes from a source that has been exposed as falsifying documentation in the past. Every single brand we sell at Rogue can produce their ASTM F-136 certification from a trusted source. 

Gold

Gold has been successfully used in body jewellery for millenia. Before brick buildings and agriculture, there was Gold jewellery. However, it is important to understand the carat system of Gold. Pure Gold, 100% solid Gold, is 24ct. This means it is 24/24 parts Gold. The three main carats are 9ct, 14ct and 18ct. Let’s do the maths on these. 18k Gold is 18/24 or 75% pure Gold. 14k is 14/24 or 59% Gold. 9k Gold is 9/24 or 37% Gold. The rest of the alloy is what is important- If your 9ct Gold is only 37% Gold, then it begs the question of what the other 63% is? We only use body-safe 14k or 18k Gold alloyed with other high-quality, nickel-free metals which has been proven safe to wear long term. No high-end body jewellery company manufactures 9ct jewellery. The filler metals in 9ct Gold tend to be low-quality metals such as nickel and copper, which could be causes of irritation in piercings. Gold plating or vermeil is a whole other topic which is discussed below. We are incredibly proud of the Gold options we sell, and we hope you appreciate the time and effort that goes into producing and stocking only the best items for you.

Coatings

Some jewellery is available with a coating. This could be ‘Gold plating,’ ‘PVD Gold,’ ‘Titanium dipped,’ ‘Black PVD,’ or any other marketing term from a list of hundreds. None of these items are body safe or suitable for long term wear. These items generally don’t mention what material is used under the coating, so once the coating wears down or chips off (which it will!) you are exposing yourself to a mystery metal. Not only this, but the chipped surface is a perfect breeding ground for bacteria, and can scratch you to cause irritation.

Gold Vermeil is a new marketing term we have seen in the last few years. Vermeil is a layer of Gold plated onto Sterling silver, which is not body safe. So again, once the coating wears away you are left exposed to an unsafe metal. For this reason, we do not stock plated or coated jewellery. If you would like fun coloured jewellery, we can anodise your Titanium jewellery by passing an electrical current through it to change the colour that the metal reflects! This is the only body-safe way to wear coloured jewellery. If you want Gold jewellery, the only way to safely do so is to purchase solid Gold jewellery.

To read about more materials and their merits (or issues), click here.

Threading

Internal threading is the safest, most secure threading system.

There are two main types of threading: Internal threading (which includes threadless) and external threading. This is often the first port of call when investigating whether your jewellery is high quality. Externally threaded jewellery is when the thread pattern is exposed on the labret or barbell. There is currently no high-quality brand in the world that produces externally threaded jewellery. This is because the thread will tear the fistula every time it is inserted or removed, which in turn will irritate your piercing and increase your risk of infection as you are removing the dermal barrier. Externally threaded jewellery is not made in body-safe materials such as ASTM F-136 Titanium or 18k body-safe Gold. Why do some studios still use external thread? It is simply down to cost. Externally threaded jewellery is often up to 50% cheaper to buy than internally threaded jewellery.

Not only is internally threaded jewellery safer to insert and remove, but it is also a much more secure threading style than external thread. If you find that you consistently lose your ends from an externally threaded labret, then maybe it’s time to move to internally threaded jewellery. Our high end manufacturers pride themselves on producing only the most secure threaded jewellery!

Jewellery Polish

In the timeless words of Paddy, owner of ISUK…

One thing that is often overlooked when purchasing body jewellery is the surface finish of your jewellery. All jewellery should be free of scratches, nicks and dents. It should have an utterly perfect mirror finish – In our jewellery photos you can often see our reflection in the piece! 

Scratches, knicks and dents can irritate your piercing in the same way as external threading does. Not only this, but any imperfections in surface finish gives bacteria a place to grow and multiply which is not good for a fresh or healed piercing. Some studios have been known to save money by purchasing and using totally unpolished jewellery. Our jewellery is either hand-polished or goes through a multi-stage mechanical polishing process in order to produce that incredibly reflective and smooth finish.

Conclusion

In order to be a high-quality piece of jewellery, your item must be at the highest standards of each of these categories- You can find and purchase low-quality, poorly polished internally threaded jewellery. You can also buy Titanium that has been dipped in a plastic or painted coating, rendering it dangerous. The gold standard of body jewellery is an internally threaded or threadless item made from ASTM F-136 certified Titanium or body-safe 14/18k Gold that has been polished to a superb mirror finish. 

Where you purchase jewellery from is also incredibly important. We do not recommend purchasing jewellery from online retailers that do not have a physical piercing studio. Handmade options from websites such as Etsy may look cute and be a unique choice, but they have no safety regulations and sellers often cannot produce documentation to prove their jewellery is safe. Some are even just resellers for companies or brands that are known to produce dangerously low quality jewellery.

The best way to guarantee the safety and quality of your jewellery is to purchase your items from a well-known, high quality brand such as BVLA, Neometal, Industrial Strength, Anatometal or LeRoi through your local premium piercer. If you want to see our range of these brands, click here. Our basic range also meets these high standards, and we are proud to carry safe jewellery that is accessible to all budgets.

This is just an overview of what to look for in quality, safe jewellery that will last a lifetime. The brands we carry offer a lifetime warranty, so you can imagine the pride and care they take in offering only the highest quality jewellery. If you have any questions about jewellery or the quality of what we carry, don’t hesitate to get in touch via kat@roguepiercing.co.uk or via our instagram.

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Custom Jewellery-The Custom Order Process

A suite of custom ordered jewellery from BVLA

Hi Folks! Today I am taking over the blog to demystify the process of ordering custom jewellery through Rogue Piercing.

Almost any piece of jewellery we sell can be ordered to your custom specifications. You need a Neometal threadless labret in a certain size we don’t normally carry? We can custom order one in for you. You need a full suite of BVLA jewellery for your wedding? We can custom order that for you. You can read a post about my favourite pieces of custom jewellery here.

Triple Flat inspiration using BVLA – White Gold, Black Diamonds.

Custom Jewellery- How the Process Works

  1. Making Contact

Let’s follow through and say you would like a full suite of BVLA items for your piercings in time for your wedding day in 2022. Your first port of call would be to email our jewellery manager Kat at kat@roguepiercing.co.uk or send us a DM through our instagram @roguepiercing. Note that all pricing enquiries and payments will be dealt with via email!

  1. Sharing Ideas

You may only have a rough idea of what you want- 18ct Yellow Gold and purple stones? White Gold? Not sure on any details at all? Kat will work with you and guide you through all the options for you. Do you want pieces that are large and in charge? Do you want a lot of solid metals or do you want the gems to do the talking? Once you have decided on a style, Kat will come back to you with a list of pieces she thinks you would love. If you need more inspiration, you would head to the companies website at BVLA, Anatometal or Industrial Strength and peruse their thousands of options.

We want to hear what you like, and what you don’t like! Reference ears, pieces, and reference photos in general are incredibly helpful! Even if you don’t know the names of the specific pieces.

  1. Deposits and Balances 

Once we have settled on some pieces, Kat will then give you a quote on the total cost of your order. Often we will take a 50% deposit upfront, but we can take as little as 25% if you are a regular client of ours. Usually if the order is under £100, we will take the full cost up front.

Once this deposit is paid, you have 6 months from the date of order to fully pay the rest of the balance.Most people will pay the other 50% of the balance once the jewellery has arrived with us prior to having it fitted. We know that custom-made jewellery can be a source of joy and so we are happy to extend the 6 month payment date for clients who need that extra time, as long as they get in touch in advance. 

A custom-ordered BVLA ‘Coffin’ in 14k Yellow Gold set with Genuine AA Garnet.
  1. Checking and Double-Checking!

From here, Kat will write up a custom order sheet that covers each item in detail to make sure every single piece is exact to your specifications.

You get to double check all the intricacies of each of your items. We then check again to make sure you are happy. Kat will send you a link to your custom order payment screen on our website.

Here is an example of what you would be looking at!

An example of your custom order payment screen!

Once you are happy, you can add this custom payment to your basket and check out as normal. You may need to book for piercings too. You can go to our booking screen and pay for everything all at once.

  1. Manufacture

Each company we work with has a different ‘lead time,’ or how long it takes to make your jewellery. Since each item is made to order, it can take a little bit of time.

Commonly orders from Titanium brands such as Neometal, Anatometal and Infinite Body Jewellery take about 12 weeks. Orders from BVLA are currently expected to take between 4 and 6 months, depending on the intricacy of the design. Each company is working hard to make sure that your jewellery gets out to you in a timely manner, and we thank them for that!

  1. Arrival!

The next step is the exciting day that your jewellery arrives with us. This is one of our favourite parts of the whole process- This is many months of work finally coming to fruition! First we check that everything has arrived safely and to our clients specification, and then we get in touch.

Normally we will send an email and give you a phone call to let you know it’s time to book in to get your jewellery fitted! After you have booked in, we take some of those stunning photos you are all used to seeing on our website and instagram. After we fit the jewellery for you, we take some more snazzy photos and you are ready to go!

BVLA ‘Single Swirl’ in 14k Yellow Gold and genuine London Blue Topaz

To conclude…

Our favourite part of the whole process is the happiness we see in your faces when you see your dream jewellery finally sitting prettily in your piercings. That moment makes all the work worthwhile for us.

I hope this has demystified the process of custom ordering jewellery for you all. As always, I am happy to respond to any queries you may have.

Yet again, BVLA pulled through with this Crown Marquise charm.
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High Quality? Part 20 – Gem Settings

Gem settings are how jewellery manufacturers make sure the gems in jewellery don’t fall out. There are different types of gem settings and each has its pros and cons as well as bringing a different style to the final piece. This week we will show some of the different settings and their pros and cons.

Bezel

An Industrial Strength Bezel Set Synthetic Pink Opal – available here

Bezel settings give one of the simplest and cleanest styles of all the gem settings but don’t let their simple look hide their hidden complexities. Simply put a bezel setting is a cup or box that a gem sits inside, and the top lip of the cup or box is rolled over to hold the gem in place. This could be something as simple as a standard round gem or something more complex like an asymmetric piece. Bezel settings are great for initial piercings as they have less snag risk than other options and, when well-made, will have nowhere for crusties to build up and dull the gems shine. As the gem is enclosed in the setting, bezel set gems don’t shine as much as other options. When mass manufactured bezel settings require calibrated gems (gems cut to tight measurement tolerances) and a high level of quality control to ensure gems do not move or spin.

Pros

  • Minimal snag risk
  • Can hold asymmetric gems
  • Cleaner for initial piercing

Cons

  • Gems can spin if not set correctly
  • Gems aren’t as bright due to being enclosed
  • Jewellery has to be deeper to enclose the gem

Prong/Claw

A Neometal Prong Set Ocean Grey Swarovski – Available here

Prong and Claw settings are two names for holding a gem in place using small pieces of metal around the gem like claws. Prong and Claw are interchangeable terms. These settings are perfect for making gems shine and sparkle as the light can enter the gem from all sides. Prong/Claw settings are capable of holding both large and small gems but at smaller sizes the gem can get obscured by the setting or not have enough metal for a strong setting. Due to requiring less metal to hold the gem securely, prong set jewellery can be made smaller so are perfect for daintier options.

Pros

  • Lots of light play
  • Can hold asymmetric gems
  • Gives a lighter and daintier look due to less metal

Cons

  • More attentive cleaning regime required
  • Can obscure smaller stones
  • More expensive due to highly skilled practitioner required

Pavé

A BVLA Pavé set Swarovski Snowflake – available here

Pavé settings are pure decadence as an entire surface is covered with gemstones. To achieve this lots of small settings halfway between a bezel and a claw must be made. This is the setting choice for those that really want their jewellery to stand out and to show off the gemstones more than the metal. By embedding the gemstones into the jewellery the jewellery will need to be slightly deeper. Snag risk is low to medium with this setting as the settings are low to the metal surface, but there are lots of them.

Pros

  • Lots of gems can be placed tight together to create a unique style
  • Minimal metal is visible for a more gem based style

Cons

  • An extremely skilled stone setter is required
  • If the setting becomes damaged multiple gems can be lost

Channel

An Industrial Strength Channel Set Clear Swarovski End – Available here

Channel settings involve cutting grooves into a channel so that multiple stones share the same setting. This is a very secure method of holding gems but requires very accurately made gemstones and jewellery. As the gems and setting are completely enclosed the snag risk is very low with these. Due to the open space between the gems channel settings allow a fair amount of light play and sparkle but can allow build up of crusties so require careful cleaning.

Pros

  • Lots of sparkle
  • Minimal snag risk
  • Durable design for high friction areas

Cons

  • Cleaning can be tricky if crusties build up
  • Not many manufacturers available for body jewellery
  • Calibrated gems are required

There are many variations on these settings and some jewellery will contain multiple different types of setting. If you are unsure about which settings will work well for you and your piercings then get in touch and let us know what you’re thinking. We will be glad to help you find the jewellery of your dreams.

That’s all for this week but we’ll be back next week with more piercing and jewellery knowledge.