Threadless Jewelry is one of the most popular styles of body jewelry, both for new and healed piercings. Professional piercers around the world favor threadless jewelry for its security and comfort, and for how easy it is to use.
This blog post will cover everything you need to know to get started with threadless jewelry including the three types of threading found in body jewelry, how to bend threadless pins for a perfect fit, and the many benefits of stocking threadless jewelry in your studio and wearing it in your piercings.
Types of Threading in Body Jewelry
There are three types of threading used in body jewelry. Externally threaded, internally threaded, and threadless.
Externally threaded jewelry has the threading cut into the post. This type of jewelry is not preferred because it creates a rough surface, with possible sharp edges, and can cause trauma when passed through the tissue during insertion and removal of the jewelry.
Internally threaded jewelry has the threads on the removable ends and the end of the jewelry that passes through your skin is drilled and tapped making it smooth. This avoids any possibility of scraping tissue with threads which is especially important with fresh piercings.
Threadless Jewelry
Threadless jewelry, sometimes called push-fit or press-fit jewelry, was invented by NeoMetal in 1997. It doesn’t have any threaded pieces; instead, the jewelry is held together by tension. Threadless body jewelry contains two pieces, the decorative end, which can also feature a gem or cabochon, and the labret post or barbell.
Bending the pin on the decorative end creates tension that holds the two pieces together. Bending the pin further creates more tension and a more secure fit, while bending it less creates a looser fit that could come apart easier. Different styles of threadless jewelry may require a different bending technique. Labret posts usually require only one bend, while threadless curved barbells and our new threadless circular barbells may require multiple.
| Part 1 | Part 2 |
|---|---|
 |
 |
Find the above images for download in the Brand Assets page
Like internally threaded jewelry, threadless jewelry posts and barbells have a smooth end, allowing them to pass through new and old piercings without scraping the tissue, or holding bacteria. When performing a piercing with threadless jewelry piercers use a needle, also known as a blade, and a taper pin. Taper pins aid in the insertion of a threadless labret post. Taper pins come in a variety of gauges and lengths. For more information on how to use taper pins with threadless jewelry check out this video.
One of the most unique qualities of threadless jewelry is that it is not gauge specific. Threadless jewelry is universal, meaning any of our decorative ends fit universally into a 18ga, 16ga, 14ga, and 12ga post or barbell. This has many benefits for the piercer as well as the jewelry wearer.
For piercers, this makes stocking your studio easier, and more cost efficient. Any style or color your customer wants, can fit into any gauge post. Specific jewelry like our nipple bars, come in 3 pieces, rather than 2 like internally threaded alternatives. This means only the barbell is anatomy specific, so you don’t need to stock every length in multiple colors or gems.
Not only is the universal nature of threadless jewelry great for stocking and downsizing, it also allows the jewelry wearer to easily change the look of their piercings, without needing a new post.
An additional benefit of threadless jewelry is the ease of insertion for the piercer. The tension of the jewelry is set before performing the piercing or even before sterilization to create a quick and seamless process. Even better, no more worrying about threading two tiny pieces together in a fresh piercing. These benefits make threadless jewelry the preferred style of jewelry for smaller areas of the body like nostril and ear piercings.
NeoMetal threadless jewelry is made from Implant Certified Titanium (ASTM F-136) and solid 18k gold. According to the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) titanium is a lightweight metal ideal for people with concerns about nickel sensitivity. It can be anodized to create jewelry of different colors without affecting the jewelry’s quality and is safe enough for long-term wear. Our 18k gold (yellow , rose, or white) is appropriate for initial piercings as it is nickel and cadmium-free and alloyed for biocompatibility according to APP standards.
Looking to stock NeoMetal in your studio? We are always accepting new accounts! Start your application here.
If you’re just looking to add some NeoMetal jewelry into your personal collection, check out our studio locator to find a studio near you.
