Jewelry Info

Threadless Jewelry

Threaded Jewelry

Association of Professional Piercers (APP) Jewelry Standards

The revised minimum standard for jewelry for initial piercing is as follows:

1. Any and all materials that meet ASTM and/or ISO standards for implantation.
Examples of these include, but are not limited to:

a. Steel that is ASTM F138 compliant or ISO 5832-1 compliant

i. [Note: The EEC Nickel Directive is a regulation that requires a low rate of nickel release for all materials used for costume or fine jewelry, belt buckles, watches, or other metallic accessories with direct skin contact. It does not specify nor prove that a material is safe to wear in the body; therefore, compliance with this directive alone is not sufficient for meeting the APP initial jewelry standards.]

b. Steel that is ISO 10993-6, 10993-10 and/or 10993-11 compliant

c. Unalloyed titanium that is ASTM F67 or ISO 5832-2 compliant

d. Alloyed Titanium (Ti6Al4V ELI) that is ASTM F136 compliant or ISO 5832-3 compliant

e. Alloyed Titanium (Ti6Al7Nb ELI) that is ASTM F1295 compliant or ISO 5832-11 compliant

f. Polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) that is ASTM F754 compliant
g. Any polymer or plastic material that is ISO 10993-6, 10993-10 and/or 10993-11 compliant and/or meets the United States Pharmacopeia (USP) Class VI material classification.

2. Solid 14 karat or higher yellow, white, or rose gold that is nickel and cadmium free.

Gold jewelry used for initial piercing may not be:

i. Plated, unless using materials approved by this standard over solid 14 karat or higher yellow, white, or rose gold that is 14k or higher, or white rhodium.

ii. Gold-filled.

iii. Gold overlay/vermeil.

3. Solid unalloyed or alloyed platinum that is cadmium, nickel, and lead free.

4. Unalloyed Niobium (Nb) that is ASTM B392 compliant. This includes but is not limited to:

a. commercial grade 2 Niobium

b. commercial grade 4 Niobium that contains 1% Zirconium

5. Glass that is lead free. This includes, but is not limited to:

a. Fused quartz

b. Borosilicate

c. Soda-lime

6. All threaded or press-fit jewelry must have internal tapping (no threads on exterior of posts and barbells).

7. For body jewelry purposes, surfaces and ends must be smooth and free of nicks, scratches, burrs, stamps, hallmarks, polishing compounds, and other potentially harmful residues.

8. Metals must have a consistent mirror finish on surfaces that frequently come in contact with tissue.