Photos by Molly Moon, pieces by Junipurr Jewelry
For this month’s installment of “What’s in the Case?,” we here at the 920 Tattoo Company, Oshkosh decided we wanted to start this new year off by talking about things with some shine. No, not alcohol, however that might help some. We’re talking about GOLD, the standard for bling. It’s an incredible material; inert, malleable, and beautiful to behold. We as a species have used it in innumerable ways throughout our history, its decorative and practical applications only limited by the user’s imagination. One of our purveyors, Anatometal, has a great writeup on the history of gold and an explanation of how the karat system works on their website. (click the link to head over there) It's a nice, short read we highly recommend if you want to learn more about gold for yourself. However, I promised bling, not a lecture on gold, so let's get to the best nuggets; why we got into carrying more gold stock, where we get it from, just what’s special and great about it, and our very own Molly Moon’s insights into why she’s chosen to use and carry what we have in our studio.
Many of our clients had expressed an interest in being able to have a piercing done with gold jewelry. That’s what prompted us to begin carrying a larger selection of gold pieces, and when we picked up our gentle sterilizer, aka Statim, the idea was to be able to sterilize gold jewelry to be used for fresh piercings. This was something we weren’t able to do before because the standard sterilizer that we use to clean our tattoo and piercing tools would melt gold! Over the last year, we’ve been adding to our collection of offerings from some of the best gold purveyors in the biz, and we’re excited to tell you all about them.
Earlier I’d mentioned Anatometal, so let’s start there. They are one of the big dogs of the gold game, their line has been in production since 1991. That’s a pretty big deal. Historically, body piercers had to make their own jewelry. Anatometal, an American original, was one of the first companies to offer high-quality machined and handmade pieces to professional body piercers on a wholesale level. Naturally, they’ve gotten very very good at what they do. They use genuine gemstones in their pieces, with no adhesives. Each setting is guaranteed for life. They also offer a lifetime guarantee on gold pieces, which we honor in our studio. In addition to tons of production pieces, they also are always producing seasonal collections to keep it fresh and innovative. Hand-crafted, hand-polished pieces are the norm. Check out their offerings here. Click here to see which Anatometal pieces we have in stock online or in-store.
We also carry lines from another American company, LeRoi Fine Jewelry. They’ve been handcrafting unique designs since 1995. Two of Molly’s Favorite lines are the Haute Couture Bijoux Line and the Hommage Collection. They, like almost every other high end jewelry company, offer a lifetime guarantee that we honor in the studio. View their offerings for yourself here. These are our current offerings from LeRoi.
Thirdly, there is no particular order to how I chose to write about each of these companies - they are all great - is Junipurr. Out of Canada, their aim is to make fine designs affordable. They’ve worked with pro-piercers to create a line that maximizes style and minimizes cost. They even care about our environment, using unique biodegradable packaging to ship worldwide. These days, that definitely matters. You can find their site here. Our Junipurr pieces can be found here.
Last but not least is Regalia. We dig regalia. I think a quote from their site pretty much sums it up;
“May every day be the coronation of your individual sovereignty.”
I mean, isn’t that what sporting bling is all about? ‘Nuff said. Great designs from talented artisans, their ends really can only be imitated not truly replicated. Each one is a work of art. Their septum clickers are what I would imagine a queen from the days of antiquity would wear to court. Just go look for yourselves already, Click here to see which Regalia pieces we currently have in stock in-store and online.
One great feature of the pieces we’ve been adding to the shop is that they are threadless. Here’s a breakdown of why Molly Moon thinks threadless is the best choice for a fresh piercing:
“I prefer wearing and working with threadless jewelry. In the piercing process, it is the easiest to pierce with. Quick, easy, and comfortable transfers for clients during fresh piercings.
The smooth mirror finish from being hand polished guarantees ease during insertion. Threadless pieces are more secure. No need to constantly check and tighten beads. If the pin is bent correctly, that baby is in there to stay. This also means way fewer clients losing beads! Which equals less time you have to spend hassling around for a lost bead, then having to call me and make an appointment, because you lost your bead (again)
In the almost two years of switching to threadless, I have had exactly ONE client call about a threadless end falling out.
Threadless ends are also easier for clients to change on their own ( though it is recommended to have a piercer pre-bend tops so they are secure. I ship all threadless ends pre-bent)
I still use internally threaded for some pieces, because it can be more practical with some jewelry/ piercing placement, but overall I use threadless when I can.
These threadless pieces come in gold and implant grade titanium and niobium and more or less “snap” together. Here are Molly’s thoughts on our current metal offerings;
“We have invested in high-quality 14k and 18k gold ends. These gold pieces are all handcrafted with a lifetime guarantee. We have an ever-changing and growing selection of yellow, rose, and white gold ends and hoop pieces. We are also able to make custom, one-of-a-kind pieces, specific to that client.
More importantly, we have invested in carrying only ASTM F 136 6AL 4V Eli certified Implant grade titanium, as well as Niobium. The post or hoop that goes in your fresh piercing is just as important as the fancy gold end. The ASTM F 136 Implant grade titanium is biocompatible with our bodies. This means that it won't cause you to have any sort of allergic reaction or turn your skin green. The jewelry that we have inside our bodies is just as important as getting enough sleep and water daily. Improper jewelry can cause horrendous effects on our bodies and well-being. Although Implant grade titanium may be a little more expensive than what you can get at Claires or some online stores, your health and well-being are worth it. Investing in proper jewelry now will prevent more money down the drain later.”
The really nice thing about our ends is that they can work with a variety of gauges, in a variety of piercings.
Well, that’s it for the shiny golden installment of “What’s in the Case,” We’re looking forward to continuing to source innovatively unique, gorgeous gold pieces, so check back every once in a while instore or online, we probably have something new in the case that you’ve never seen. These goldsmiths are constantly upping their game, and we can’t wait to see what they come up with next. Thanks for joining us in celebrating style, and until next time, stay gold.
Steve, Molly Moon, and Carrie. The 920 Tattoo Company, Oshkosh