STRAIGHT BARBELLS COLLECTIONS OF BODY JEWELRY

Straight Barbells style piercing jewelry is composed of a straight bar and with a bead on each end, one or both beads unscrewable for removal and/or changing of the beads. Often one of the beads is fixed, either via epoxy or welding, so that only one bead is used to install or remove the jewelry. Barbell threads are usually right-handed.

They are named because they resemble the straight barbells that are used in weightlifting.

Types of straight barbells
Internally threaded barbells
Named because the bar has smooth ends with receiving threads tapped into the end of the bar. In internally threaded jewelry, the bead has a receiving tube machined into it (this is referred to as “countersunk”), with a threaded post extending from the center, which mates with the threaded receiving tube on the bar. Being much less likely to cause damage and irritation, especially at the time of piercing, internally threaded jewelry is considered superior to externally threaded jewelry. It is usually slightly more expensive than externally threaded jewelry, due to the extra machining and labor involved.

Externally threaded barbells
So named because the shaft of the bar has threads at both ends to allow beads with receiving threads to be attached. Due to the potential damage or irritation to the piercing when the threads pass through when the jewelry is inserted or removed, this type of barbell has become less common, due to the popularity of the internally threaded barbell. This type of barbell is usually only used when the gauge of the bar is too small to allow it to be internally threaded, or in cheap, mass produced body jewelry. Some higher-end manufacturers make externally threaded barbells with “step-down threading”, where the threaded section has a smaller diameter than the wearable section; these are fairly uncommon and usually internally threaded barbells are used in their place. Step-down threaded jewelry ends can be inserted into the blunt end of a hollow piercing needle, allowing for less irritation during initial placement than regular external barbells or even internally threaded barbells.

CAPTIVE BEAD RINGS OF BODY JEWELRY

A captive bead ring (CBR), ball closure ring (BCR), captive hoop, or captive ball ring is a common example of body piercing jewelry.

Big Gauge Captive bead rings

The captive bead or ball fits into a small opening in the circle of the ring. The bead is slightly larger than this opening and has small indentations or depressions that correspond to the ring’s end-points so that it may fit snugly against them, thus completing the circuit of the ring. Often, a hole is drilled through the bead to allow easier fitting.

It uses the natural tensile or compressive strength of the metal the ring is made of, usually surgical stainless steel, niobium, or titanium, to hold the bead tightly in place. The bead or ball itself may additionally be made from colored glass or ceramic, or a gemstone.

This is a popular piece of body jewelry because it conveniently allows the wearer to remove the ring by simply removing the captive bead, yet the bead is held so firmly in place that it will not easily fall out. Additionally, because of their closed shape and rounded edges, these rings do not easily snag on clothing, hair, or furniture, making them a popular choice for piercings which are still healing. However, its circular shape means that it can drag dried lymph back into the healing piercing, meaning that barbells are seen as being preferable for certain healing piercings.

Vire more collection of captive bead rings at http://www.316lbodyjewelry.com/products/captive-bead-rings.html.