Jewelry is measured through
a gauge system... - (see chart to right ->)
- The *higher* the gauge number the *smaller* the wire is.
- A standard earring bought in the mall is usually 20 gauge.
- A standard ear piercing at an actual shop with a needle is usually a 14 gauge.
- To get larger gauge piercings you have to stretch your piercings.
Jewelry gauges/sizes can vary between manufacturers. There is no universal
regulation on companies to make a standard size in body jewelry.
A big part of this is that some jewelry is made overseas and measured in millimeters.
And in the USA jewelry is measured in inches/gauges. So many times jewelry can
be anywhere from .5mm to 1mm different. |
| Gauge |
Millimeter |
Inches |
| 16g |
1.2mm |
3/64" |
| 14g |
1.6mm |
1/16" |
| 12g |
2mm |
5/64" |
| 10g |
2.4mm |
3/32" |
| 8g |
3.2mm |
1/8" |
| 6g |
4mm |
5/32" |
| 4g |
5mm |
3/16" |
| 2g |
6mm |
1/4" |
| 0g |
8mm |
5/16" |
| 00g |
9.5mm |
3/8" |
| 000g |
10mm |
|
| |
11mm |
7/16" |
| |
13mm |
1/2" |
| |
14mm |
9/16" |
| |
16mm |
5/8" |
| |
19mm |
3/4" |
| |
22mm |
7/8" |
| |
25mm |
1" |
|
Enlarged Example Of 1" On
Ruler:
 |
| Plugs |
| Worn In: Ears/lobes |
| Gauge Span: 18g to anywhere as large
as 3 inches |
| Materials: Acrylic, steel, titanium,
organic materials, glass, or niobium |
| More Info: Plugs usually come where
you have to use 2 o-rings to hold them in place. They can also come single flared
or double flared. If they are double flared then the center is the gauge itself
while the outside is a larger gauge. |
|
 |
| Straight
Barbell (aka: Tongue Ring) |
| Worn In: Tongue, nipple, industrials,
genitals |
| Gauge Span: 18g all the way to 1/2" |
| Most Common Size : 14g |
| Standard Sizes For Tongue: 5/8",
and then 1/2" |
| Materials: Steel, titanium, acrylic,
niobium |
| More Info: These are straight shafts
where the balls thread on to both ends. If you have a tongue piercing and stretch
beyond 14g then expect to have FAR less choices of "cool" jewelry to
wear. |
|
 |
| Captive
Bead Ring (aka: CBR, BCR, or hoop) |
| Worn In: Ears, navel, nipple, labret,
eyebrow, genitals |
| Gauge Span: 18g to about 000g at the
highest |
| Materials: Acrylic, steel, titanium,
gold |
| More Info: Captives are pretty much
the *anywhere* jewelry. They are probably the most commonly used type of jewelry.
They hold a dimpled bead in place through tension that you pop in and out. They
can be a bit difficult to get the bead in and out with just bare hands, thus
the need for opening and closing pliers. |
|
 |
| Circular
Barbell (aka: CBB, horseshoe) |
| Worn In: Ears, navel, nipple, labret,
eyebrow, genitals |
| Gauge Span: 18g to about 000g at the
highest |
| Materials: Acrylic, steel, titanium,
gold |
| More Info: Circular barbells are similar
to captives in the fact that they can be worn just about anywhere. But they are
a bit easier to use because they have two balls on each end that are actually
threaded on. |
|
 |
| Curved
Barbell |
| Worn In: Eyebrow, navel, nipple, genitals |
| Gauge Span: 18g to 0g |
| Most Common Size : 16g for eyebrow,
14g for nipples, 0g seems to be common size for PA (after stretching) |
| Most Common Eyebrow Length : 5/16" or
3/8" |
| Materials: Steel, titanium, acrylic |
| More Info: Curved barbells are just
a curved shaft with balls that thread on to each end. They are the preferred
choice for the eyebrow to help reduce migration. They are also great for piercings
where you wore a captive bead ring, and want to switch to new jewelry. |
|
 |
| Labret |
| Worn In: Piercings around the mouth,
primarily center lower lip & monroe |
| Gauge Span: 18g to about 8g at the largest |
| Most Common Size : 14g (5/16" or
3/8" length) |
| Materials: Steel, titanium, some acrylic,
gold |
| More Info: These have a flat disk that
is attached to the post (unless you get it internally threaded in which both
ends unscrew). The end can be changed out easily. |
|
 |
| Bananabell
(aka: Navel Jewelry) |
| Worn In: Navel |
| Gauge Span: 14g |
| Most Common Size : 14g (3/8" or
7/16" long) |
| Materials: Steel, titanium |
| More Info: Bananabells are pretty much
designed for the navel. They usually have a 5mm top ball and 8mm bottom ball.
This is the main factor that distinguishes them from a simple curved barbell.
They also include fancier jewelry with gems etc. |
|
 |
| Twists |
| Worn In: Navel, ears, eyebrow |
| Gauge Span: 16g & 14g |
| Most Common Size : 14g |
| Materials: Steel, titanium |
| More Info: These are twisted shafts
where both balls should unscrew. They are nifty looking items and are very fun
to wear. They are also curved to help put less stress on your piercing. |
|
Information on this page is courtesy of BodyArtForms.com
Big Thanks to them for allowing us to use this information!
 For
another great resource on piercing gauges and other body piercing related information
and terms please see the BME Encyclopedia for more information: Click
Here To Visit The BME Encyclopedia
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