Tattoo & Piercing

Independencia Méxicana: Patriotic Jewelry for Mexican Independence Day Today marks an amazingly special day for the residents of Mexico, and anyone of Mexican nationality or ancestry: the Día de la Independencia de México, or “Mexican Independence Day.” Every September, the residents of Mexico celebrate the anniversary of their independence from Spain, beginning at 11pm on the evening of the 15th, and winding to a close the following night. The 11pm celebratory begins with the President of Mexico ceremoniously echoing the “Cry of Dolores,” a patriotic shout originated during the revolt against Spanish colonial rule in the early 1800’s. This symbolic […]

In the Bag: Summer Beauty and the Beach Watery hues, swirls of movement, reflected sunsets, and oceanic shimmer. Heightened nature with vivid coloring. Ombre shading and brilliantly splashy effects that mimic the language of water. Chillaxing on the Shore Beachy new retro, hippie styling. Gently sporty, surf and skate motifs, love beads, and stacks of multiple bracelets with a very laid back feel. Psychedelic color tones. Iridescence and tie dye. Suited Up Circles and polka dots, flowery hues, brights, and saturated colors. Polished stones and shells, and blends of shiny finish and visible textural elements. Organic shapes, exotic color combinations, […]

Industrial Barbell Sizing The barbell piercing worn in the ear cartilage goes by a few different names : The barbell is called an industrial barbell, construction bar, or industrial project bar. Sizing of these bars varies depending on the person, because everybody’s ears are a different size. Industrial piercings are commonly done with a 14 gauge needle. The jewelry itself can range anywhere from 28mm to 50mm in length. You’ll need to ask your piercer or have your ear measured to ensure you are getting the right fit. The angle of the holes and the distance they are apart from […]

Industrial Ear Piercings – Healing and Jewelry The industrial or “scaffold” piercing is any piercing in which two separate pierced holes are connected with a single piece of barbell body jewelry. Though an industrial piercing can be made anywhere, the term “industrial” is most often used to refer to this type of piercing when placed in the cartilage of the upper ear. Variations of this include the vertical industrial (usually placed in the outer cartilage further away from the head) and the cage piercing (more than one set of industrial piercings that cross over each other in some way). The […]

Inspired Summer Jewelry Style: Gypsea Swimwear Summer should be full of fun, color, and amazing jewelry. This is the time of year to really do it up and deck it out with as much interesting, flirty, and vibrantly toned jewels as possible, and one style we love is the worldly, eclectic, and brilliant beachy style from European swim brand Gypsea. The shapes are cool, the graphics are intense, and best of all, the jewelry is youthful, carefree, and bright. Hints of ocean-toned turquoise are everywhere in this style and mix in effortlessly to cool off the beachwear. Pearls and subtle […]

Modern Jewelry Design: From Inspiration to Art Form Designing jewelry is something I’ve done since college. I found a course for it in my junior year and I was hooked. I’ve spent the better part of the last 25 years creating dazzling items to adorn. When I design, it is like being a kid in a candy store. I excitedly start with a pile of beautiful Swarovski crystals. And I often say, “They pay me to play with pretty sparkly things!” Sometimes the process is inspired by new shapes of Swarovski crystals. I lay them out and start placing different […]

Internal Verses External Threading When it comes to buying body jewelry, you may come across the terms “internally” or “externally” threaded jewelry. There is often confusion when it comes to this topic, however, this is something everyone who is interested in body jewelry should know about! Most barbells have ends that are connected using tiny screw threads. Threads exist on all body jewelry that has an end that screws on and off. These threads can be internal or external depending where on the piece of jewelry the threading is. What is threading? It is the spiral, bolt like ridge that […]

Internally Threaded vs Externally Threaded Body Jewelry Today we’re going to cover Internally threaded vs Externally threaded body jewelry, what they are and the attributes of each. Internally threaded: Internally threaded means that the inside of the part of the jewelry, that will pass through your body is smooth. The threading or ‘screw’ is on the removable end, such as a ball end on a barbell. This end will screw into the hole that has been drilled with the matching pattern, so it will receive the end of the jewelry and create a snug fit. The benefit of this type […]

International Body Piercing Day: Modern Celebration Today, June 28th, has once again been declared international body piercing day, a fairly young event celebrated in piercing and modification communities worldwide. The first official day was declared just last year, but already there are countless body piercers and tattooists who celebrate with client events, special promotions, and for some even free or severely discounted services. So why is the 28th of June our chosen moment? Because today is also special for another reason: it’s Jim Ward’s birthday. As you may remember from former listings of his past achievements, Jim Ward is the […]