Materials
SURGICAL STEEL
SS316L is a surgical implant grade, which is the most used material for Body Jewelry. The two most common standards that apply to body jewelry made of steel are ASTM F138 and ISO 5832-1 which describe the qualities of steel for surgical implants.
The element in stainless steel that causes allergic reactions in some people is nickel. Polishing the jewelry to a mirror like luster results in a protective layer of chromium oxide, which reduces the release of the Nickel content into the tissue. Surgical Steel can be sterilized in an autoclave.
TITANIUM 6AL-4V-ELI,
ASTM 136
Titanium is ideal for both initial body piercings and healed piercings. Because of its virtually 'Nickel Free' content Titanium has become one of the preferred materials used in piercing jewelry.
Grade Ti6AL-4V, ASTM F136 is the specification for the alloy to be used for surgical implants. It is available in Highly Polished or Anodised Colours. Titanium is only half the weight of steel and twice as strong. Titanium can be sterilized in an autoclave.
BLACK PVD STEEL
Black PVD (Physical Vapour Deposition) coating is applied onto SS316L body jewelry.
The jewelry is coated in a heated chamber under high vacuum.
Electric voltage applied will form a plasma in the chamber and the introduction of various gases produces an ion bombardment.
This bombardment atomizes the cathode material into tiny substances, which are deposited on the jewelry.
The result is a hardened layer, which is biocompatible. It can be autoclaved.
GOLD PVD
18k and 24K real Gold is coated using a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) process.
The jewelry is coated in a heated chamber under high vacuum. Electric voltage applied will form a plasma in the chamber and the introduction of various gases produces an ion bombardment. This bombardment atomizes the cathode material (18k or 24k real Gold) into tiny substances which are deposited on the jewelry. The result is a hardened layer, which is biocompatible. It can be autoclaved.
Our surgical steel items are coated with 24K real gold, while our titanium and CoCr Nickel Free items are coated with 18K real gold (matching Solid 18K Gold).
ROSE GOLD PVD
Real Rose Gold Alloy is coated using a PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) process.
The jewelry is coated in a heated chamber under high vacuum. Electric voltage applied will form a plasma in the chamber and the introduction of various gases produces an ion bombardment. This bombardment atomizes the cathode material (Real 14-22K Rose Gold alloy) into tiny substances which are deposited on the jewelry. The result is a hardened layer, which is bio-compatible. It can be autoclaved.
BIOPLAST
Bioplast® is a trademarked medical grade plastic. It was created in 1998 in Austria and is still produced in Tyrol. It was formerly sold under the name of PMFK until in 2003 the name Bioplast® was trademarked by Steel and Silver.
Bioplast® is a Biocompatible Polymer, flexible and can be cut to any length and threaded by any metal ball closure. Combined it with SS316L or Titanium!
Bioplast® adjusts to the body temperature and not to the outside air temperature, like metals. Therefore, people getting pierced with Bioplast®, are less likely to have swellings and infections. The healing process is faster than with any other materials and there are no allergic reactions (no nickel)
Bioplast® can be sterilized by autoclave and is not visible in X-Rays if used on its own without metal attachments.
Bioplast® is considered suitable for new piercings by the APP.
GOLD
Gold is considered as one of the most precious metals in the world and is appropriate for initial piercings if it is 14k or 18k. Gold higher than 18k is too soft for body jewelry because it can easily be scratched.
G18K- stands for 18karat (750 Gold) and G14K- for 14karat (585 Gold) yellow Gold.
RG18K- stands for 18karat (750 Gold) Rose gold.
WG18K- stands for 18karat (750 Gold) White Gold which is Rhodium Plated
Our Solid Gold items are marked with 750 (for 18 karat). On small items you might need to use a jeweler loupe to be able to see the tiny laser marking.
Additionally, the products are also marked with the Swiss Responsibility Mark ("Verantwortlichkeitsmarke") which guarantees the gold content.
What if your real Gold items get tarnished
Tarnish is a thin layer of corrosion on metals resulting from a reaction to moisture, air, or chemical compounds on its surface. This will appear as a dark discoloration to your jewellery.We use an 18 karat Gold alloy containing other metals which can tarnish (pure 24k Gold will not tarnish but it is too soft to be used for Body Jewelry).
Usually it is easy to remove the tarnish from solid gold pieces by using a widely available silver polishing cloth, which is impregnated with an anti-tarnishing agent. Simply rub the cloth on the piece of jewellery and you’ll see the tarnish begin to disappear.In cases of bad tarnishing, you can use a silver cleaner to wash the piece, or search the web for additional methods and hacks.
NICKEL FREE COBALT CHROMIUM ALLOY (CoCr NF)
Cobalt Chromium Alloys possess high corrosion resistance and amazing strength.It is very hard to break, bend, deform or even scratch. For these characteristics, it is the perfect material for tiny items like Hinged Clickers and others.
At the same time, it has an appealing white color and shine that resembles precious metals like White Gold, Rhodium or Platinum. All this without plating or coating.Even Titanium with it's high image in the Piercing Industry, can't compete in color.
It is widely used in the dental industry and for medical implants like knee and hip joints.
The alloy we use is Nickel, Cadmium and Lead free which makes it REACH compliant.
With a smooth and shiny surface, the price is higher than Surgical Steel but lower than Titanium.
ORGANICS
Organic body jewelry is made from various natural materials like water buffalo horn, water buffalo bone and different kinds of wood. Organic materials were used historically by many cultures.
Natural materials are not suitable for unhealed piercings or for wear while stretching existing ones. They are sensitive to changes in heat and humidity. Thus bathing, swimming and use in saunas is not recommended.
Natural materials can absorb oils and sweat from the skin and therefore reduce odors. These materials can also absorb water making them brittle and fragile over time with prolonged and repeated exposure.
CUBIC ZIRCONIA
Cubic Zirconia is currently the most popular substitute to a diamond because to the untrained eye they look identical.
Cubic Zirconia or CZ as it is referred to is made from zirconium dioxide a different material than diamonds, which although a different chemical composition comes closer than any other gem to matching the characteristics of a diamond. Natural CZ was first discovered in 1899 but it wasn’t until the late 70’s that man made CZ first came into production for use in jewellery.
CZ on first impression looks just like a diamond but under close inspection there are differences, it has a gravity of between 5.6 and 6.0 which means it’s 1.6 times the weight of a diamond. It has a hardness of 8 on the Mohs scale, a refraction index of 2.176 and a dispersive power of 0.060, which means that it’s not as hard as a diamond, it’s slightly less sparkly but displays more prismatic fire which means more colour sparkles within the gem. Another point to note is that natural diamonds display impurities which CZ doesn’t its also clear in colour which most diamonds aren’t, but they can be coloured by adding metal oxides in the production process.
Unlike diamonds CZ are good thermal insulators which mean they become warm but can’t withstand the same kind of heat a diamond can, which is one test that is used to distinguish diamonds from CZ. Caring for CZ is important because they are more brittle than diamonds and susceptible to wear and tear such as chipping and scratches over time.
SWAROVSKI® CRYSTALS
What is Swarovski Crystal?
Swarovski crystals are man-made gems manufactured in Austria. In 1892, Daniel Swarovski invented a machine for making precision-cut, beautiful, high quality lead glass crystals using quartz, sand, and minerals. The exact proportions of these raw materials has remained a company secret. This specialized manufacturing process ensures the highest possible degree of precision which produces brilliant crystals. For five generations, the Swarovski family has continued the tradition of making the most recognized crystals in the world out of their factory in Wattens, Austria.
Why are Swarovski crystals more expensive than glass?
The method of production and processing of raw resources are important factors in the quality of finished crystals. Swarovski uses only the finest materials to fashion faceted lead glass that is known around the world for its brilliance and value. Superior production, materials, cutting, and polishing are what set Swarovski crystals apart from other glass works. According to Swarovski, “Cutting hard materials such as crystal and gems, in such a way that they have a hundred identical facets in several directions, is a very complicated task; each direction of the reflected light must first be calculated by computer, then this has to be simulated in 3D, optimized and finally converted into control programs for complex machinery.”
SWAROVSKI® ZIRCONIA
The stones under this name are SWAROVSKI® ZIRCONIA (not crystals). This Zirconia stones are cut and polished to perfection exclusively in Austria. They have all the characteristics of a real diamond with its exceptional cut and sheer brilliance. All stones are set by hand and items polished by hand.
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SWAROVSKI ZIRCONIA |
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THE ATTRIBUTES |
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SWAROVSKI® GEMSTONES
Each Genuine Gemstones reflects the quality, creativity, and technical precision that the name Swarovski has come to stand for. Swarovski's Genuine Gemstones infuse the natural beauty of the stone with a new dimension of brilliance, providing creative inspiration for jewelry and watch design
SWAROVSKI® CREATED DIAMONDS
Lab created diamonds are 100% diamonds. The only difference is that the origin is a laboratory and not the earth. Swarovski Created Diamonds are identical to mined diamonds possessing the same chemical composition, hardness, brilliance and fire – just as a greenhouse-grown orchid is identical to one found in nature.
Created Diamonds are a responsible and environmental choice.
www.swarovski-createddiamonds.com
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CUT The cut of a laboratory created diamond is essential to its beauty. It is evaluated according to the parameters of Excellent / Very Good / Good and Fair. Swarovski Created Diamonds are available in the best quality, the Excellence and Very Good Cut. |
CLARITY Clarity describes the purity of a laboratory created diamond. |
COLOR Most diamonds use in jewelry range in color from colorless to slightly yellow |
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Carat
The weight or size of a diamond is measured in carats (ct.).
One carat weights 1/5 of a gram and is divided into 100 points, so a diamond weighing 1.07 ct. is referred to as "one carat and seven points."
LAB CREATED OPALS
Lab Created Opal (GIA: Polymer Impregnated synthetic opal) is impregnated in the laboratory in around a year and has similar properties as that of natural opal. The main difference with natural opal is that the naturally occurring process has been sped up in the laboratory.A Lab Created Opal is a beautiful opal with a perfect color dynamicity - revealed the beauty of Precious Opal.
| Lab Created Opal (with resin) | Natural Opal | |
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| Elements | SiO2.nH2O+Resin | SiO2.nH2O |
| Hardness | 4 | 3-5.5 |
| Specific Gravity | 1.80-1.90 | 1.98-2.20 |
| Heat Resistance | 130 degree C. | 100 degree C. |
Opal material from the KYOCERA Corporation in Japan is composed of at least 80% Silica and is exhibiting beautiful and vivid opal colors.
Those materials contains mostly 80% Resin and only 20% Silica. Therefore they do not qualify as "Lab Created Opal"
UV ACRYLIC
Acrylic comes in many shapes and colors. It cannot be sterilized in an autoclave and it may crack if soaked in disinfectant chemicals like alcohol or similar. It’s not suitable for initial piercing. The biggest advantage is it’s cheap price