All our Solid 14K Gold jewelry is certified Nickel-free, suitable for clients with sensitivity. Our Titanium is ASTM F136 ELI ‘Implant Grade’ Titanium, the most biocompatible metal also used in hip replacements and bone screws.
Lots of clients have the age old idea that “Gold is the safest, and only material they can wear”.
Along with our nickel-free solid Gold selections, we also carry a wide range of certified implant grade Titanium jewelry, so which material is “better”? Solid Gold and Titanium both have their pros and cons…
Gold is ranked in a “Karat” system representing the purity of Gold. Each Karat is 1/24… that would mean 24K is pure gold. So 18K would be 18 parts gold to 6 parts of filler alloy, and 14K is 14 parts gold to 10 parts filler. Please keep in mind that Gold by nature is very soft and to create wearability, mixing Gold with another metal is common practice in jewelry making. The key is to avoid companies that cheaply mixes with nickel! Pure 24K Gold is so soft, you can easily scratch with just a fingernail, it is too soft to wear as body jewelry, so 18K and 14K nickel-free Gold is safe to use as piercing jewelry.
✔️Gold by nature is a precious metal, so Gold jewelry will be more expensive than Titanium.
✔️Gold jewelry is handmade so the designs are more detailed and intricate, and can feature a wider variety of genuine gemstones.
✔️Gold jewelry must be handled delicately – it can break – and is not suggested to change/remove everyday.
✔️Gold brands we carry: BVLA, Buddha Jewelry Organics, Junipurr, Maya Jewelry offer a lifetime manufacturer guarantee on their jewelry.
Titanium is a very durable and lightweight metal with many uses from cars to building materials, watches, electronics etc. The classification we focus on for piercing is ASTM F136 ELI “Implant Grade” Titanium, the same level used in the medical world such as pacemakers, bone screws, hip replacements to ensure “biocompatibility”, meaning we want to use most inert material to promote the body into accepting this jewelry as part of our body, and grow a tunnel of “fistula” around the piercing.
Using jewelry that is not biocompatible can result in problematic piercings that “never heal”, and at worse, can reject or migrate the piercing entirely.
✔️ASTM F136 ELI ‘Implant Grade’ Titanium jewelry is typically more affordable than solid Gold.
✔️Titanium jewelry is machined and less detail than Gold jewelry.
✔️Titanium is very durable – less prone to breakage.
Gold is often more desirable, and commonly regarded as “an upgrade from Titanium”.
While we can understand this mentality, we don’t agree that “Gold is better than Titanium” because both materials we carry are equally safe and suitable for fresh and healed piercings – the only difference honestly is personal and budget preference!!
JEWELRY WARRENTY
Gold by nature is a precious material so the cost of using Gold jewelry will be pricier than Titanium. Even though Gold is more costly, the benefit of using genuine Gold jewelry is that some manufactures will offer an individual warranty.
Please note that the replacement jewelry will be offered by the same company (as the defective one). The replacement jewelry will be the same design, style, size and colour. If the same replacement is not possible, a store credit of equal value will be issued. Sorry, no monetary refunds!
BVLA (Body Vision Los Angeles) –
“We make responsible choices in all regards. Metals used in our jewelry are recycled, minimizing environmental impact. Our diamonds are ethically sourced and conflict free. We believe in and uphold diverse hiring practices and equality for all humans. Every BVLA piece comes with a guarantee against manufacturing defects for life.”
“We guarantee our solid gold ends and clickers of any manufacturer defects for life. We will replace any broken items at our discretion or issue you a store credit if we are not able to exchange.”
“We offer a lifetime warranty on all our jewelry. This applies to any defects in materials and workmanship.”
“All Maya Jewelry are covered by a manufacturer’s warranty for 6 months from date of purchase.”