Tags
12 Oz. Studios, Anatometal, Ann Arbor, BAF, Body Art Forms, Body Candy, body jewelry, body modification, California, Cold Steel American Piercing and Tattoo, health and safety, Infinite Body, Michigan, mystery metal, Online retailers, online shopping, Pangea Piercing, Pennslyvania, Philadelphia, San Fransico, shopping, turquoise, yellow opal
Shopping online for body jewelry may seem quick and convinent, but this is one instance where it’s best to buy in person. It is possible to shop online, but that option is best left alone until there are no other options.
Online body jewelry retailers such as Body Art FormsĀ and Body Candy undermine the professional piercing industry as a whole. BAF, as it is commonly known, sells low quality “mystery metal” jewelry right along with higher quality competitors. Many professionals in the field feel that any kind of sellng or promotion of lower quality jewelry is a complete disrespect to clients.
According to professional piercer A.J. Goldman who is the head piercer at 12 Oz. Studios in Southern New Jersey, BAF lowers prices so much on the high quality jewelry it sells, it makes it almost impossible for tattoo and piercing studios to compete. “Reptuable body piercing studios don’t have this luxury because we ACTUALLY care about your health and safety.” he says “… if they’re willing to sell you a piece of scrap metal that they call jewelry, they absolutely don’t care about you.”
Piercing and tattoo shops are local businesses. They need the support and foottrafic of the people in their communities in order to keep their doors open. These businesses also have a number of expenses like rent, elecrtic, water, and other bills, paying employees, buying the jewelry and tools to pierce with, sterilization equipment, etc. that these online retailers may not have. Online retailers can afford to cut costs where studios cannot.
Studios understand that not everyone wants to come in store for their jewelry needs and that some people live hours away from the nearest reputable shop. In response, custom orders are an option for almost anyone. Reputable body jewelry companies are wholesale which means a client looking to buy jewelry would need to order through their local studio. When a client does this, they have a number of options when it comes to color, gems and more for any kind of piercing made to their specifications. With online retailers, clients only have the option of previously made jewelry.
The following is a custom ordered set of threaded flower ends with 2 millimeter synthetic turquoise and yellow opal stones and beaded ends. All the metal is implant grade titanium anodized fuchsia and the jewelry is made by Anatometal.
Some reputable studios have also begun their own online stories in order to give clients a safer option. Infinite Body of Philadelphia, PA, Pangea Piercing of Ann Arbor, MI and Cold Steel America Piercing and Tattoo in San Fransico, CA all have their own online sectors. However, they all stress that coming into the shop if possible is the best option for the kind of personalized help clients will recieve.