The Red Piranha Materials Guide

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        <h1>The Red Piranha Materials Guide</h1>

<p>The Red Piranha materials guide will help you to find out more about body jewellery materials and to make the right decision about what material is right for you and your piercings.</p>

<h1>Surgical Steel</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>316L and 316LVM grade surgical steel are the only acceptable grades of stainless steel for the use of body jewellery. Red Piranha stocks only 316L and 316LVM grade surgical steel body jewellery, which are surgical implant grades of stainless steel and which comply with EU nickel guidelines. The composition of our 316L and 316LVM grade surgical steel body jewellery allows for very little exposure to nickel molecules. However, the European Nickel Directive states that no surgical steel is suitable for initial piercings or for use during the period of healing. Therefore, even though our surgical steel body jewellery is of the highest quality, it is only suitable for healed piercings and should not be inserted into a fresh piercing.</p>

<h1>Stainless Steel</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>See Surgical Steel.</p>

<h1>Titanium Anodised Surgical Steel</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Our titanium anodised surgical steel is 316L grade surgical steel with an anodised titanium coating. This produces an item of body jewellery with a durable coating, with strong, bright colouring. Titanium anodized steel is only suitable for healed piercings. All of our titanium anodised surgical steel products are clearly marked as such. We do not attempt to pass off titanium anodised surgical steel products as pure Ti6AL-4V grade titanium.</p>

<h1>Abalone</h1>

<p>Abalone is a material that is often used to inlay body jewellery made from other materials. Abalone is a species of shellfish, which is very similar to mother of pearl. Its shell has a shiny, oily appearance, with bright iridescent blue and green colours.</p>

<h1>Titanium</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for fresh piercings and healed piercings.</strong></p>

<p>At Red Piranha only use Grade 23 Ti6AL-4V commercially pure titanium. Grade 23 Ti6AL-4V titanium is certified for medical implant use and it conforms to the EU directive for use in initial piercings. Titanium is the most biocompatible of all metals and is very lightweight and very strong. It is, for example, nearly half the weight of surgical steel and almost twice as strong. Its strength makes it almost totally resistant to any scratches or other imperfections. Titanium can be bought in its original, highly polished silver colour, but is most commonly bought in its coloured form, as it can be anodised to create a wide range of colours. During the process of anodising, the jewellery is placed into an electrolyte solution and a high voltage of electricity is applied. This creates an oxide layer on the jewellery, the thickness of which determines which colour is produced. Coloured titanium worn orally may fade due to acidity in the mouth, smoking and certain food or drinks.</p>

<h1>Zircon Gold</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for fresh piercings and healed piercings.</strong></p>

<p>Our zircon gold jewellery is Grade 23 Ti6AL-4V titanium with a PVD (physical vapour deposit) coating. The PVD coating is applied onto the titanium after the item of body jewellery has been ultrasonically cleaned and placed in a high vacuum coating chamber. Its surface is then atomically cleaned at high vacuum. Active gases are then introduced to produce the final coating. This produces a smooth, wear resistant finish that is very strong and will not chip away. Zircon gold is suitable for initial and healed piercings and complies with the EU Nickel Directive.</p>

<h1>Blackline</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for fresh piercings and healed piercings.</strong></p>

<p>Our blackline jewellery is Grade 23 Ti6AL-4V titanium with a PVD (physical vapour deposit) coating. The PVD coating is applied onto the titanium after the item of body jewellery has been ultrasonically cleaned and placed in a high vacuum coating chamber. Its surface is then atomically cleaned at high vacuum. Active gases are then introduced to produce the final coating. This produces a smooth, wear resistant finish that is very strong and will not chip away. Our blackline body jewellery is suitable for initial and healed piercings and complies with the EU Nickel Directive.</p>

<h1>Gold PVD</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for fresh piercings and healed piercings.</strong></p>

<p>See Zircon Gold.</p>

<h1>Black PVD</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for fresh piercings and healed piercings.</strong></p>

<p>See Blackline.</p>

<h1>Fimo</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Fimo is a clay-based material that comes in a wide range of colours. It is very light, durable and fade-proof. It is suitable for healed piercings only and is not suitable for use during the ear stretching process. It should only be used once a stretching is complete.</p>

<h1>Acrylic</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Acrylic is the most well known plastic based material. There are many acrylic items of body jewellery available. Acrylic is cheap, versatile, lightweight and comes in a variety of colours. However, acrylic cannot be autoclaved and it is therefore not suitable for fresh or healing piercings.</p>

<h1>PMMA</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>PMMA is Polymethylmethacrylate. It is a shatterproof plastic that is often used as an alternative to glass. PMMA is very versatile as it can be as transparent as glass or alternatively it can be completely solid opaque in black or white, for example. PMMA is light, face proof, odourless, hard, easy to polish and very durable. It is biocompatible and has a very smooth surface. PMMA cannot be autoclaved.</p>

<h1>PTFE</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for fresh piercings and healed piercings.</strong></p>

<p>PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) is a non-stick, flexible, biocompatible material that is ideal for use in initial and healed piercings. P.T.F.E can be autoclaved and it conforms to the E.U nickel directive for initial piercing jewellery. It is especially effective in tongue ad surface piercings. It is also flexible and can be worn during hospital visits / x-rays, which makes it popular for belly button / navel piercings, particularly belly button / navel jewellery to be worn during pregnancy.</p>

<p>PTFE is resistant even to aggressive chemicals, which is especially important for oral and genital piercings. Its lightness and flexibility along with its non-stick surface coating assists the healing process of all piercings. Its smooth and slippery surface means that hardly any substances, such as the discharge excreted by the wound of a fresh piercing, will stick to it. PTFE is also ideal for piercings where skin irritation, keloid scarring or infection is a problem. 
 PTFE can be cut to any length and rethreaded, so if your bar is too long, you just cut it with scissors and thread the attachment back on. PTFE is also known as Teflon.</p>

<h1>Teflon</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for fresh piercings and healed piercings.</strong></p>

<p>See PTFE.</p>

<h1>Bioflex</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for fresh piercings and healed piercings.</strong></p>

<p>Bioflex is a new flexible, biocompatible material that is comfortable to wear and very unlikely to cause an allergic reaction. It is a medical grade plastic and as with PTFE, it is an ideal material to wear during pregnancy. Clear Bioflex is also great for use as retainers. Bioflex can be cut to size with a sharp blade and rethreaded, so if your bar is too long, you just cut it with scissors and thread the attachment back on.</p>

<h1>Bioplast</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for fresh piercings and healed piercings.</strong></p>

<p>Bioplast body jewellery is biocompatible, flexible and is very comfortable to wear. Bioplast comes in a range of colours and can be cut to any length and rethreaded, so if your bar is too long, you just cut it with scissors and thread the attachment back on. Bioplast is suitable for autoclaving and is ideal for initial piercings.</p>

<h1>Gold Plated</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Red Piranha’s gold plated body jewellery is gold plated 316L grade surgical steel. This gives it a hard, high quality finish. Our gold plated body jewellery is an ideal low-cost alternative to solid gold jewellery. Gold plated body jewellery should not be used for fresh or unhealed piercings. Even with high quality gold plated body jewellery, the gold plating will start to wear off over time, particularly if worn in piercings that receive a lot of wear, such as oral piercings.</p>

<h1>9ct Gold</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Gold, in any carat, is only suitable for healed piercings. 9ct gold contains 37.5% pure gold. Similar to silver, gold is soft and can have imperfections that can breed bacteria.
Higher grades of gold (such as 24ct), which are considered better because they contain less nickel, are actually softer and can therefore cause more problems when worn in piercings. Gold is only recommended for healed piercings.</p>

<h1>14ct Gold</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Gold, in any carat, is only suitable for healed piercings. As a guide 14ct gold contains 58.5% pure gold. Similar to silver, gold is soft and can have imperfections that can breed bacteria. Higher grades of gold (such as 24ct), which are considered better because they contain less nickel, are actually softer and can therefore cause more problems when worn in piercings. Gold is only recommended for healed piercings.</p>

<h1>18ct Gold</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Gold, in any carat, is only suitable for healed piercings. As a guide 18ct gold contains 75% pure gold. Similar to silver, gold is soft and can have imperfections that can breed bacteria. Higher grades of gold (such as 24ct), which are considered better because they contain less nickel, are actually softer and can therefore cause more problems when worn in piercings. Gold is only recommended for healed piercings.</p>

<h1>Buffalo Horn / Horn</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Although they are different materials, bone and horn body jewellery can be treated pretty much the same. They are semi-hard, porous, and can be carved into different shapes for a variety of types and styles of body jewellery. Most bone jewellery comes from cow bone and most horn jewellery comes from buffalo, although there are always exceptions to every rule and you need to be sure what you are purchasing. All bone and horn body jewellery sold by Red Piranha comes from one of the above sources.</p>

<p>Bone and horn are relatively lightweight. They mainly come in natural shades of white, black, and golden. Neither bone nor horn is suitable to be autoclaved. However, both can be carefully washed with mild antibacterial soap and a small amount of water. Bone and horn body jewellery can also be treated once a month with jojoba, coconut or olive oil.</p>

<h1>Bone</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Although they are different materials, bone and horn body jewellery can be treated pretty much the same. They are semi-hard, porous and can be carved into different shapes for a variety of types and styles of body jewellery. Most bone jewellery comes from cow bone and most horn jewellery comes from buffalo, although there are always exceptions to every rule and you need to be sure what you are purchasing.</p>

<p>Bone and horn are relatively lightweight. They mainly come in natural shades of white, black, and golden. Neither bone nor horn is suitable to be autoclaved. However, both can be carefully washed with mild antibacterial soap and a small amount of water. Bone and horn body jewellery can also be treated once a month with jojoba, coconut or olive oil.</p>

<h1>Wood</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Red Piranha stocks various types of wooden ear stretching jewellery, including sono wood, areng wood, crocodile wood and ebony wood. Ear stretching jewellery made of wood is very versatile as it is lightweight, so even a large stretched piercing can be filled without discomfort. Wood comes in a variety of colours and varying hardness.</p>

<p>Wood cannot be autoclaved and is not suitable for new or unhealed piercings. Wooden ear stretching jewellery should not be allowed to get saturated with water or over-heated and should therefore be removed before swimming, bathing, or using a sauna. Wooden ear stretching jewellery can be safely cleaned with mild liquid anti-bacterial soap and a small amount of water as long as it is dried immediately. Wooden ear stretching jewellery can also be lightly treated once a week with jojoba or olive oil to prevent cracking. Tea tree oil can also be used for cleaning and to add shine.</p>

<h1>Natural / Organic</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Examples of organic / natural body jewellery include wood, horn, bone, and stone. Each of these materials can come in a wide range of different varieties, but they all come naturally from the earth. The most common use as jewellery for such natural / organic materials is as ear stretching jewellery such as plugs, tunnels and expanders.</p>

<h1>Cubic Zirconia</h1>

<p>Cubic zirconia is a synthetic gemstone that closely resembles a diamond. When light shines onto cubic zirconia, it sparkles with many different colours refracted in its crystal like structure. Because of its diamond like appearance and inexpensive price tag, it is a highly popular gemstone.</p>

<h1>Sterling Silver</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for some healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Because of the high nickel content and problematic tarnishing, silver it is rarely used for any body jewellery apart from nasal. Because of how thin nose studs are there is very little surface contact, so as with silver earrings, wearing silver jewellery in a nose piercing is not usually a problem. Silver is most commonly used for body jewellery attachments, for example on navel, nipple shields and ear cartilage jewellery. Red Piranha only stocks .925 Sterling Silver.</p>

<h1>Silicone</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Rubber and silicone are very similar products in that they are a pliable and stretchable plastic. They are only suitable for use in healed piercings. Silicone in particular is commonly used for ear stretching tunnels and plugs and is popular due to its biocompatibility and flexibility. If you wear silicone or rubber body jewellery, it is important that you keep the area clean and dry at all times to minimise the risk of a build up of bacteria.</p>

<h1>Rubber</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Rubber and silicone are very similar products in that they are a pliable and stretchable plastic. They are only suitable for use in healed piercings. Silicone in particular is commonly used for ear stretching tunnels and plugs and is popular due to its biocompatibility and flexibility. If you wear silicone or rubber body jewellery, it is important that you keep the area clean and dry at all times to minimise the risk of a build up of bacteria.</p>

<h1>Stone</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Rock or semi-precious stone is often used to make body jewellery. As it is quite heavy, this jewellery will not come in particularly large sizes. Stone body jewellery is more durable than body jewellery made from other organic materials, but it still cannot be autoclaved and needs to be cleaned with mild antibacterial soap and water. Stone jewellery should not be worn in fresh or unhealed piercings.</p>

<h1>Hematite</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Hematite is a black crystal mainly used to make clip in balls for BCR’s. Red Piranha also stocks haematite ear stretching jewellery.</p>

<h1>Swarovski Crystal</h1>

<p>Swarovski is the brand name for a range of precision cut crystal glass and related luxury products. Swarovski Crystal is a manmade crystal produced by Swarovski AG of Wattens, Austria. The factor that sets Swarovski Crystal products apart from other crystal products is the superior quality of the cutting and polishing.</p>

<h1>UV</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>UV is an acrylic material that comes in a range of colours and which lights up when under ultra-violet light. UV acrylic should not be used for fresh or unhealed piercings.</p>

<h1>Glow in the Dark</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Glow in the dark acrylic is a material that has a naturally occurring glow when in darkness.</p>

<h1>Mother of Pearl</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Mother of pearl, is an organic material produced by some molluscs. It is a type of shell and it is very strong, resilient, and iridescent.</p>

<h1>Glass</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for healed piercings only.</strong></p>

<p>Glass is mainly used for ear stretching jewellery, as it is too brittle and delicate for any other form of body jewellery. It can be coloured and patterned and because of its comparatively rough surface, it stays in your piercing better than the highly polished metal ear jewellery. Not all glass is equal in terms of quality or suitability for wearing in piercings. Determining which is which can be difficult so it important to choose a reputable retailer. Glass jewellery is available under popular trademarks such as Pyrex and Kimax (Borosilicate). Glass jewellery, although non-toxic and biocompatible, should not be used for a fresh piercing or during ear stretching. Glass body jewellery is great for very cold weather conditions as it will stay at a comfortable temperature and will not freeze to the ear or crack. As glass is quite heavy, it is less commonly found in larger sizes.</p>

<h1>Niobium</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for fresh piercings and healed piercings.</strong></p>

<p>Niobium is a happy medium between surgical steel and titanium. Niobium body jewellery is usually anodized to create a range of colours. Niobium is non-reactive and most people can wear it in new or healed piercings without any problems.</p>

<h1>Low Quality Novelty ‘Body Jewellery’</h1>

<p><strong>Suitable for not alot.</strong></p>

<p><strong>Avoid this at all costs!</strong> It may be cheap but it’s not so cheerful!</p>

<p>There is a reason why some items of body jewellery are so inexpensive – good quality body jewellery costs more because appropriate materials and quality workmanship are used to produce them.</p>

<h3>Don’t be fooled by imitators or lower prices – it’s simply not worth it just for the sake of saving a couple of squid!</h3>
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