Caring for body jewelry 101
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As you build your body jewelry collection, it's important to keep regular maintenance in mind to keep it beautiful and shiny over time. Our jewelry collections range from pure 14K yellow, rose and white gold to other hypoallergenic materials such as titanium for implants. Pierced offers high quality body jewelry in various metals (always safe for the body and perfect for sensitive skin).
For your jewelry to last, you need to take care of it, just as you would take care of everything you love in life. We've put together a guide with everything you asked about jewelry care and what you need to know to keep your jewelry looking shiny for years to come ✨
It is important to know what is in your jewelry as it enters your body and you will be wearing it for a long period of time. All body jewelry sold at Pierced, whether for fresh piercings or upgraded piercings, is hypoallergenic and ideal for people with sensitive skin. Here are the body jewelry materials you can buy online:
Solid 14K Gold: Our 14k gold line is exactly what it sounds like - solid 14k gold available in 3 colors: yellow gold, rose gold and white gold.
Titanium: Flat back earrings and some jewelry are made from ASTM F-136 implant grade titanium, the same type used in surgical implants.
Solid gold jewelry can be worn 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but you still need to clean the surface of your jewelry to remove accumulated dirt and grease. In particular, ear jewelry is best cleaned about once a week for ear health, especially if you wear earrings all the time.
How to clean solid gold jewelry:
- Be sure to clean jewelry on a safe surface or container. Body jewelry can be very small and the last thing you want while cleaning your jewelry is losing it or watching it fly down the drain. We don't recommend washing your jewelry in the sink, but if that's your only option, be sure to use a secure drain plug.
- Prepare a mild soapy solution to clean your jewelry. Simply mix a small amount of mild soap-based detergent with warm water.
- Place the jewelry in the soap solution and leave it there for one to two minutes to soak it.
- Use a toothbrush to gently clean the jewelry, remove it from the water and rinse.
- Wipe the jewelry dry with a soft polishing cloth.
What to avoid when cleaning jewelry:
- Like most high-quality body jewelry, 14k gold jewelry will last longer if it is protected from harsh chemicals.
- Make sure the soft cloth is free of chemicals (avoid using jewelry polishing pads, which may contain chemicals that can damage the jewelry).
How to store solid gold jewelry:
The best way to take care of your jewelry when you're not wearing it is to keep it separate. Pure gold does not tarnish, but it is a soft metal that can be easily scratched, so be careful not to rub against other jewelry.
Our flat back pins and some body jewelry are made from implant grade titanium which is used in surgical implants (ASTM F136). They are easy to use, hypoallergenic and durable.
How to clean titanium jewelry:
It is perfectly normal for deposits to form naturally around the flat-back titanium post over time, and after a while, they can start to irritate your ears. For proper ear health, it's best to clean them about once a week to minimize the chance of infection.
Titanium jewelry can be cleaned in the same way as solid gold jewelry. Proper care of jewelry will allow them to remain shiny for a long time.
Tarnishing is completely natural with some metals commonly used in traditional jewelry (butterfly backs), such as sterling silver and plated jewelry, and is the result of the surface of the jewelry reacting to air (oxidation). Tarnishing is accelerated when jewelry is exposed to water or chemicals such as shampoos and soaps, but various factors affect this:
- Sweat: There are a lot of chemicals in your sweat - this is completely normal. If you wear jewelry during intense workouts, it may fade slightly over time, which is also normal.
- Body chemistry: We all have different hormones, so the chemicals released from our pores vary from person to person. Depending on your body chemistry, your jewelry may tarnish faster than someone else's.
- Personal hygiene products: Sunscreen, perfume, shampoo, lotion, bleach-based cleaners, nail polish remover, and hairspray can all accelerate tarnishing and damage.
- Pools and hot tubs: The chemicals used to clean pools and hot tubs can be very harsh on jewelry.
Will my solid gold or titanium jewelry tarnish?
Pure gold, such as 24 carat gold, does not tarnish as it does not combine well with oxygen. It is extremely rare to find solid gold body jewelry because, because gold is very malleable, some base metals are alloyed together with gold to create stronger and harder jewelry. The base metals used are exposed to oxygen and sulphur, which can eventually lead to slight tarnishing of gold body jewelry.
Body jewelry made of 14k gold or higher will tarnish little if any. Gold earrings under 14 carats will contain less pure gold and will likely tarnish over time. The higher the purity of gold, the less base metals are used and the less likely it is to tarnish. At Pierced, you can find body jewelry in 14K and 18K gold.
We recommend solid gold or titanium jewelry and flat back earrings for 24/7 wear. If you don't want to change your earrings when you sleep and shower, solid gold is perfect - it doesn't tarnish and just needs to be buffed from time to time.
Regardless of what your earrings are made of, you will need to take them off periodically to clean them. Buildup naturally occurs over time, and after a while, it can start to irritate your ears. For proper ear health, it's best to clean them about once a week to minimize the chance of infection.
Flat back stands are also several times more comfortable to wear than butterfly backs and are not as easy to snag on towels or clothing.
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