A couple of decades ago, the body jewelry market was considered niche and only available in a couple of locations. Today, it cannot be further from the truth- thanks to technological advances and changes in human development, the idea of body modification is accepted in many countries and communities around the globe.

Wholesalers all over the world are fighting for customers, resulting in cheap and low-quality items that damage the overall industry’s reputation, as well as your own. When choosing where to get body jewelry from, you’re paying close attention not only to the cost but also to the origin.

Here, we have shared 7 useful tips to find quality body jewelry for you.

Let’s dive in!

#1 Use of implant-grade material

The body jewelry should be made of implant-grade material. This means that it has met universally agreed-upon safety standards and is suitable for use in medical prostheses. Properly chosen implant-grade materials also minimize the risk of irritation, allergic reactions, and infection.

When it comes to body jewelry, you can never go wrong with implant-grade materials. The term describes items that have been tested as safe for the body over extended periods of time, making them ideal for initial piercings and healed piercings alike.

#2 Pre-sterilization

It’s absolutely vital that you always purchase properly sterilized jewelry for new piercings. Your body is vulnerable during this period, so allowing unsterile jewelry near your skin could lead to infection.

Piercing studios should be carrying sterilized jewelry. To ensure your first piercing heals correctly, you’ll need to prevent harmful bacteria and germs from entering the wound. First piercings are particularly susceptible to bugs due to their skin’s low immune system — a certified sterile piece of jewelry will help protect against bacteria growth and possible complications like infections or irritation of the skin.

#3 Avoid nickel

Due to the toxicity of nickel, it should be avoided at all costs.

A nickel allergy can affect anyone, and it’s not a condition you want to take lightly. It’s so common that many people don’t even realize they have an allergy until they begin researching the metal — which is too late. After experiencing skin reactions or breathing difficulties, they realize they need to remove all traces of nickel from their lives in order to rid themselves of these symptoms.

#4 Polishing matters

Body jewelry is an important part of many people’s lives. Taking care of your jewelry by polishing it regularly is a great way to keep it looking its best and to prevent damage.

Polishing also helps to remove any dirt or debris that may have become trapped in the crevices of your jewelry. This can help to keep your jewelry clean and free of infection.

Jewelry polishing should be done using a specialized process. Although just about any regular jewelry cleaning materials will work, they’ll also remove precious metal plating, coatings, and treatments you put in to make your product shine in halogen lights (which all stores use). A lot of craft jewelers pass up this critical step, which can lead to infections — not something you want with body art!

#5 Gemstones

Stones — be they synthetic or genuine — are one of the many materials you can choose when it comes to getting jewelry as a piercing. However, stones come with a lot more risks than other options. The piercing may have to go through foil backing in order to make sure that stones appear pretty on the surface, which opens up holes in initial piercings and poses a threat of toxic adhesives, such as glues, seeping into the open wound.

A quality piece of jewelry carries with it a high cost — but that is due to the collectors and manufacturers making sure their product performs as expected. Stones and gems may look pretty, but this does not mean that their integrity must be sacrificed on the altar of aesthetics.