Body Jewelry 101: A Guide to Choosing the Right Jewelry for Your Piercing

Body jewelry is more than an accessory. The right piece can completely change the look of a piercing and give you another way to show off your personal style.

From subtle nose hoops and sparkling belly rings to industrial barbells, septum clickers, plugs, tunnels, and statement cartilage jewelry, there are countless ways to make your piercings your own.

But with so many styles, gauges, materials, and sizes available, choosing the right body jewelry can get confusing. Here's what you should know before picking your next piece.

Know Your Gauge

One of the most important things to understand when shopping for body jewelry is gauge.

Gauge refers to the thickness of the jewelry. Unlike many measurements, gauge sizes work backward: the smaller the gauge number, the thicker the jewelry.

For example, 14 gauge jewelry is thicker than 16 gauge jewelry.

Different piercings commonly use different gauges, and your piercing may not necessarily match what is considered a standard size. Before buying new jewelry, make sure you know the gauge of your existing piercing.

Never force jewelry into a piercing because the size doesn't match.

Jewelry Length and Diameter Matter Too

Gauge isn't the only measurement you need to consider.

Straight and curved barbells are generally measured by their wearable length, while hoops and circular jewelry are often measured by diameter.

The correct size can depend on your anatomy, piercing placement, and the look you're trying to achieve.

A smaller-diameter hoop may create a close-fitting appearance, while a larger diameter can give the piercing a more noticeable look.

When you're unsure about sizing, a professional piercer can help determine what works best for your piercing.

Choose the Right Jewelry Style

One of the best parts about body jewelry is the sheer number of styles available.

Nose Rings

Nose jewelry can range from tiny, understated studs to hoops and decorative pieces.

A simple hoop can create a clean everyday look, while CZ stones, opals, unique shapes, and other designs can add more personality.

Septum Rings & Clickers

Septum piercings offer plenty of room to experiment.

Circular barbells provide a classic look, while septum clickers can feature everything from simple polished metal to elaborate patterns, gemstones, spikes, and alternative designs.

Changing your septum jewelry can dramatically change the overall appearance of the piercing.

Belly Button Rings

Belly rings are available in an enormous range of styles.

Classic curved barbells keep things simple, while CZ stones, dangling designs, hearts, animals, skulls, flowers, symbols, and other decorative styles can turn a navel piercing into a statement piece.

Cartilage Jewelry

Ear piercings give you the opportunity to combine multiple pieces into one look.

Helix, tragus, conch, rook, and daith piercings can be mixed with hoops, studs, barbells, clickers, and other jewelry to create your own ear setup.

Instead of treating each piercing separately, think about how your jewelry looks together.

Industrial Barbells

Industrial piercings already make a statement, but the jewelry can take them even further.

Beyond traditional straight barbells, industrial jewelry can feature arrows, chains, decorative centers, spikes, gems, and themed designs.

Plugs & Tunnels

Stretched ears open up an entirely different category of body jewelry.

Plugs create a solid appearance, while tunnels have an open center. Both are available in different materials, colors, patterns, and designs.

Correct sizing is especially important with stretched piercings. Don't jump sizes or force jewelry that doesn't fit.

Pay Attention to Jewelry Materials

The material matters just as much as the design.

Body jewelry can be made from materials including titanium, stainless or surgical steel, gold, acrylic, glass, silicone, and other materials.

Your piercing status matters too.

Jewelry that may work well in a fully healed piercing isn't necessarily appropriate for a fresh piercing. If you have a new piercing, sensitive skin, or a history of reactions to certain metals, talk with a qualified professional piercer about suitable materials before changing your jewelry.

Build a Look That's Yours

There really isn't one correct body-jewelry style.

You can keep things minimal with polished metal and simple hoops, cover your ear in sparkling stones, go gothic with black jewelry and spikes, or constantly change your setup depending on your mood.

That's what makes piercings fun.

Your jewelry doesn't have to look like everyone else's.

Mix finishes. Experiment with shapes. Add color. Stack your ear. Change your septum. Swap your belly ring. Find pieces that actually feel like you.

Don't Forget About Healing

There's a major difference between shopping for an established piercing and changing jewelry in a piercing that's still healing.

If your piercing is new, don't rush to change the jewelry simply because you've found something you like better.

Healing times vary considerably depending on the type of piercing and the individual. Changing jewelry too early can irritate the area and interfere with healing.

When in doubt, ask your professional piercer before changing jewelry.

Find Your Next Look at Kruelty

Whether your style is clean and minimal, colorful, gothic, alternative, bold, or somewhere in between, body jewelry gives you endless ways to change your look.

At Kruelty, we're building a collection for people who don't want their jewelry to be boring.

Explore our selection of body jewelry and find something worthy of your next setup.

Stay different. Stay Kruel.