316L & 316LVM surgical steel

What‘s best? Stainless Steel, Sterling Silver, Solid Gold or Gold Plated navel jewellery?

316L or 316LVM are the only acceptable grades of stainless steel for use as body jewellery. 316L is surgical stainless steel - it‘s the most common and widely used option for body piercings. 316LVM is the same as 316L, but has the added advantage of having been melted in a vacuum giving it a virtually flawless finish and reduces the chance of minor alloy inclusions, which can irritate the wearer.

Sterling silver is only .925% silver and contains other metals that can cause irritation. It also oxidizes (tarnishes) when it comes in contact with body fluids and air. The fact that silver is soft increases the risk of small non-visible nicks and scratches in the metal that can become a harbor for bacterial growth. Sterling silver is recommended for well-established earlobe piercings only and short-term wear. Silver-plated jewelry is not recommended at all for navel piercings.

Similar to silver, gold is soft and can have imperfections that can breed bacteria. “Higher grades” of gold are considered better because they contain less nickel. Solid gold is only recommended for well-healed piercings and for those that have a history of being able to wear gold without irritation.

Gold plated is not suitable for piercings that are still healing nor for belly piercings that are particularly sensitive.  Gold plated belly rings should only be worn in the navel for special occasions and short periods of time rather then as an everyday navel ring.

Titanium is the fourth most abundant structural metal on earth. The nickel content is less than 0.05% by mass making it ideal for those sensitive to nickel. Titanium is also bio-compatible and is totally resistant to body fluids. The light refracting off the oxidised surface allows an incredible range of colours and it is extremely lightweight, scratch-resistant, highly-polished and very tough (three times stronger than steel).