New products alert – New style Diamond Labret and Tragus Pin!

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Katie Mitchell

We are excited to announce we have some brand new products coming soon to our extensive body jewellery selection – Internally Threaded Diamond Labret and Tragus Pins!

New style Internally Threaded Diamond Labret.

New Style Internally Threaded Diamond & GoldLabret

Our new design of our Internally Threaded Head Diamond Labret , featuring a 10pt Diamond in 14ct white gold.

After much research and listening to our customer’s feedback, we have developed a first of its kind internally threaded diamond labret stud design;
The new design will enable to answer the most commonly faced problems with ensuring a comfortable and easy fit, whilst continuing to provide the most secure choice of labret jewellery.

How is this new design different?

Compared to standard internally threaded studs, where the back plate would screw into the shaft, our unique design has sophisticated machine cut threading and features a fixed back plate. This makes fitting your new jewellery much easier, in particular on tragus and lip piercings, allowing you to insert the fixed plate shaft into the piercing first, and then simply screwing the diamond stud securely in place from the front.

Example of the new design – allowing you to insert the shaft into the piercing, and screwing on the diamond stud from the front, providing a much easier fit.

Close up showing our unique, sophisticated machine cut threading.

Combining over 10 years of jewellery making and body piercing expertise, we have developed the diamond stud specifically so that it fits and lies flat to the piercing, providing a much more elegant look.

The new style diamond labret studs will be available to purchase in your choice of a 3pt, 6pt and 10pt diamond, in 14ct yellow or white gold and platinum.

3 Diamond Tragus Pin

Another of our new products to be launched is our stunning internally threaded triple diamond tragus pin.The beauty of this piece of jewellery will give you the illusion of having a triple tragus piercing with just the one piercing, with the benefit of ensuring a much more secure fit.

Triple Diamond Tragus Pin

This will be available in your choice of 14ct white or yellow gold – set with 3 5pt, 7pt and 15pt diamonds or CZ’s

Want to be one of the first to own an exclusive handcrafted diamond labret and tragus pin? Watch this space, we will be launching these soon!

In the meantime, don’t forget to check out our fantastic products on our website: www.bodymattersgold.com

Katie Mitchell
Apprentice Body Piercer @ Real Piercing Studios
Part of Body Matters Gold Ltd

Diary of a body piercing apprentice – weeks 3 – 4

Posted on May 7, 2013 by Katie Mitchell

I didn’t have time to write my diary entry last week, so I’ve condensed week 3 and 4 into this post.

So the last two weeks of my body piercing apprenticeship have seen me continuing to assist Richard in the studio by setting up for piercings, observing and starting to insert and fit the jewellery into new piercings under Richards’s guidance.

We’ve seen some interesting piercing coming into the studio in the last couple of weeks – I saw my first septum piercing performed and a couple of micro dermals, which were fascinating to watch, and a nice change from the commonly requested navel, lobes and nose piercings.

Watch out, YouTube stars in the making!

Me and our designer at BMG, Gemma also made our fist YouTube video for Real and BMG – along the lines of a tutorial video of how to change different types of jewellery easily. It was a lot of fun to make and definitely a learning curve! We’re just finishing off the final editing of it before we upload it within the next week or so. Stay tuned!

I’ve also started to perform simple ear lobe and cartilage piercings on friends and known customers who were happy enough to let me practice my techniques on them, which has been great for me to gain more confidence and allowing me to continue my training.

I’m hoping to ask some willing family and friends to come in the shop in the next few weeks, so I can practise my new skills on some more simple piercings to start with, which should mean that my nerves will be at a minimum and I’ll be able to practise my soft skills of explaining the procedure as well as the practical skills.

As I said, I’ll keep this short and sweet – and should have plenty to write about come next week, so until then – bye for now!

Katie Mitchell
Body piercing apprentice @ Real Piercing Studios, Burgess Hill, West Sussex.

Part of Body Matters Gold Ltd.

Rose Gold: Elegant, Warm & Feminine. A must have this Summer!

Posted on April 29, 2013 by Gem Easton

We briefly talked about Rose Gold in our previous blog on Coloured Gold, and we want to take this opportunity to look into this beautiful precious metal a little more…

Rose Gold is becoming ever more popular and seems to be popping up in lots of Spring and Summer jewellery collections. Personally, I think this is great news! It’s such an elegant gold – it’s soft, subtle, feminine and warm. It offers a lovely modern twist and is perfect for jewellery making!

It was originally a popular choice for jewellery making in the Victorian times and was very popular in Russia at the beginning of the 19th century. This gave it the nickname of ‘Russian Gold’, but this term is very rarely used today.

The rose colour is created using a copper alloy with the gold, and this creates a very attractive pinkish colour. It’s also often called Pink Gold or Red Gold. These alternative names are often used to describe the same piece of metal, but there is a slight difference between them – The higher the copper content = the redder the gold.

Rose Gold jewellery works really well when paired with other golds, such as Yellow Gold and White Gold. The contrast between the colours works really well and is often used by goldsmiths when designing both contemporary and traditional jewellery. Diamonds and gemstones look amazing when set in Rose Gold – it really does create extra lustre, life and sparkle!

Another great thing about this rosy precious metal is that it really does suit all skin tones. It’s very versatile and compliments any wearer. It’s a winner all round!

We are excited to announce some really wonderful news… Body Matters Gold will shortly be introducing Rose Gold to our handmade jewellery collections!

Initially we will offer it as a metal choice for our handmade Diamond and Gemstone Nose Studs, and eventually we should be offering it across the board.

Want to be one of the first to own an exclusive handcrafted Rose Gold Nose Stud by BMG? Well you can! The Rose Gold option will be available on all nose studs as of 1pm (UK Time) on Tuesday 30th April. Just select Rose Gold option from the drop down menu for metal choice.Written by Gem Easton at Body Matters Gold Ltd

Coloured Gold – What’s your choice?

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Gem Easton

When we think of fine jewellery, we think of Gold. It’s beautiful, versatile and desirable.

Gold has been highly valuable throughout history and has been commonly used for things such as jewellery, art and currency. It naturally has a bright yellow colour which is widely considered an attractive precious metal and does not oxidise in water or air. Pure gold (24ct) is very soft – so it is usually alloyed with other metals when used to make jewellery. This affects its strength, flexibility and colour.

Most of you will have seen Yellow Gold and White Gold jewellery – both have been very popular choices over the years, but have you heard of coloured gold? As mentioned earlier, pure gold is very yellow in colour and you can create a whole range of new exciting colours by alloying the gold with other elements.

White Gold is created by adding an alloy of white metal, such as palladium. This gives the whiter colour, and is sometimes rhodium plated to give a brighter appearance.

One of the most popular coloured golds has to be Rose Gold. This is created using a copper alloy, and creates a very warm and feminine colour. It is becoming ever more popular in modern jewellery. It is also commonly known as Pink Gold or Red Gold. These names are often used to describe the same piece of metal, but there is a slight difference between them – The redder the gold = the higher the copper content.

Green Gold is formed using a mixture of yellow gold and silver – it is more of a lime/yellow colour rather than a full on green.

Black Gold is popular in jewellery making and can be achieved in a few ways… Sometimes the gold will be electroplated using a black rhodium – this will give a strong black coating. You can also get the black colour by a process called Patination – this is where a coating of sulphur and oxygen containing compounds is applied to the metal. It will produce a sort of black tarnish. You can get a similar darkening effect from controlled oxidisation of the gold.

Purple Gold – also commonly known as Violet Gold or Amethyst Gold is fashioned using an alloy of aluminium. Blue Gold can be made using a mixture of Purple Gold and iron, it is often quite grey in appearance. These coloured golds are very brittle, and are usually only used for specialised jewellery.

Here at BMG we currently offer a fantastic range of handmade Yellow Gold and White Gold jewellery (all nickel free) which is popular worldwide. We are currently looking into the possibilities of offering some exciting new coloured gold options within our range. Watch this space!Written by Gem Easton at Body Matters Gold Ltd

PTFE Body Jewellery

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Katie Mitchell

A few things you may not know about PTFE body jewellery:

You may or may not have heard of PTFE – it is a unique material used for body jewellery, best known as the brand name “Teflon” which is used to coat non-stick frying pans -The very same material you may have used to help slide your fried egg from pan to plate this morning!

The three main qualities of PTFE which make it ideal for body piercing jewellery is its flexibility, meaning that it can move with your body and feels very comfortable, making it an ideal choice for parts of the body that move a lot, such as oral piercings where metal jewellery is worn is at risk of tooth and gum damage and navel piercings especially during pregnancy.
It’s one of the most biocompatible materials around, meaning it will not irritate the skin and a great choice for sensitive and damaged piercings as it can help reduce swelling and healing times.
Thirdly, its non-stick qualities – this makes the jewellery much easier to clean as lymph and other bodily fluids will not stick to it and does not attract build up.

Pregnancy belly bar – The length of the shaft can be altered during pregnancy and provides a more comfortable fit.

An unusual surface chin piercing, using PTFE to promote clean and healthy healing on a difficult body placement.

An example of PTFE used on surface piercings to ensure a more comfortable fit

Other interesting facts about PTFE and its use include:

PTFE was discovered by accident in 1938 by Roy Plunkett.

It is also used to coat certain types of hardened armour piercing bullets.

It is the only known substance to which a gecko cannot stick to!

Bioflex/Bioplast is another form of biocompatible plastics that holds similar qualities to PTFE.

There are visual differences; PTFE has an almost milky appearance, whereas Bioflex/Bioplast is clear and transparent.
Although both flexible materials, Bioplast/Bioflex is firmer which can make it easier when attaching ball endings.

Example of a Bioflex labret stud.

The top just pops in and out of the Bioflex post. It is easy to insert, sits flat against the skin and holds in securely.

You can find a wide range of Bioflex jewellery on the BMG website Here.
If you would like more information, please send us an email all@bodymattersgold.com

Katie Mitchell
Apprentice body piercer @ Real Piercing Studios

Diary of a body piercing apprentice – week two

Posted on April 16, 2013 by Katie Mitchell

So, week two of my body piercing apprenticeship has been a quiet one generally, with the Easter holidays coming to an end, there has been less appointments for piercings, but that’s not to say I have been able to sit back and relax!

I’ve been getting more involved with the general front of shop this week. Having to deal with customers coming in and enquiring about both our cash for gold and custom made jewellery services we also offer. This has been a great opportunity to gain more experience on dealing with clients, building a good rapport, customer service and learning about the different processes involved in designing and making custom orders.

My confidence is growing steadily – I’ve been able to change over customer’s jewellery, if they need to switch down to a smaller piece after their initial piercing, and continuing to clean and mark up for new piercings, (which I’m still working to improve to get the points clean and more precise.)

However, I did do my first piercing this week, and must admit – I was terrified!

As piercings go, a nape piercing was quite a difficult one to perform for my first, but also a good one to do, as it covers many of the preparation areas which are required to perform on other body piercings.

Although Richard was there guiding me all the way through, much of the procedure was done by myself, from setting up with the correct instruments, the final markings for the placement of the piercing. I was shown how to use forceps correctly to line the piercing up straight and how to hold the cannula (needle). Which I struggled with the most – probably due to obvious nerves and shaking hands!

Richard was a great mentor, and made sure I was relaxed and took some nice deep breaths before the big push! (I was more worried about the piercee’s nerves and comfort than my own.)
I was surprised at how sharp the cannula was, and how little pressure you needed to apply to penetrate the skin and exit smoothly.

Once the jewellery was inserted and the piercing complete, I had an enormous sense of achievement, and of course a huge boost to my confidence.

Here it is – my first piericng complete.

Let’s just say, I’m really looking forward to the next few weeks/months ahead of me and the challenges it brings!

Katie Mitchell
Body piercing apprentice @ Real Piercing Studios

Part of Body Matters Gold Ltd.

Gold Price Crashes

Posted on April 15, 2013 by Richard Soper

Gold Price Crashes.

The price of gold crashed down by almost 8% this weekend – why is this happening and can we speculate about the prices in the future. Some say its scare tactics of traders tying to drive the price down so they can buy it up and drive it back up for a quick profit – others say Cyprus is about to sell 10 tonnes to help bail it out. Rumours are ripe with speculation that if Cyprus does sell this may spark Spain and Portugal to sell there reserves. If this does happen the price could free fall out of control….. or will it.

Speculation is ripe keep this maybe your last chance to sell at a decent price.

Let me know your thoughts meantime I found this article interesting.
http://www.mineweb.com/mineweb/content/en/mineweb-gold-analysis?oid=186070&sn=Detail

Author Richard Soper

FB https://www.facebook.com/bmg.ltd?ref=stream

Google + https://plus.google.com/118166527112138951297/posts

Celebrity multiple piercings

Posted on April 11, 2013 by Katie Mitchell

We have noticed a rise in the popularity of multiple piercings coming into the studio recently. With customers requesting piercings such as the double and triple helix and conch piercings, tragus and rooks.

So what has caused this sudden increase of multiple piercings?

One possible explanation could be due to with popular culture and with the influence the media and celebrities have on popular trends.

For example, nearly every time a celebrity is pictured in the media, on social networking sites with a new piercing, it isn’t long until we see that particular piercing has a rise in popularity.

Here are just a few examples with celebrities sporting multiple piercings that have had an increase in popularity in the past few years:

Scarlet Johansson

The actress has been known for being a fan of multiple piercings for having septum and eyebrow piercings in the past, and owns both tragus and anti helix piercings currently.

Rhianna

Rihanna with her tragus and lobe piercings, she also has a nipple piercing.

Fergie

The Black Eye Peas singer, as pictured here with both eyebrow and holds multiple ear piercings.

Katy Perry

Katy Perry pictured with multiple ear piercing, including lobe and helix.

Kate Moss

The model also features an impressive collection of ear lobe and helix piercings.

Which now leaves us the question of which celebrity will be next to set the next piercing trend alight?!

Katie Mitchell
Body piercing apprentice @ Real Piercing Studios

Diary of a body piercing apprentice

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Richard Soper

Here at Real/BMG after the recent departure of our resident piercer Ciaron, we’ve been given the wonderful opportunity to take on a new apprentice body piercer.

Here are a few words from our new body piercing apprentice after her first week with us:

As this is my first entry on this blog, I thought I’d start by introducing myself and share with you my experiences I’ve had on my first week…

My name is Katie, I’m 25 and live in the village of Hurstpierpoint approx 4 miles south from the Real piercing studio in Burgess Hill.

I’ve always held a passion for body modification/piercing, ever since my first ear piercing when I was around nine years old. As I grew older the number piercings increased, as did my interest and intrigue into the piercing industry, although this eventually was put on the back burner as I the years went on…

However, recently I met Richard, (BMG/Real’s CEO)at a local networking event held by my previous employer – a week later I saw the advertisement on Real’s Facebook and BMG’s Facebook page , a rare opportunity to become an body piercing apprentice– an opportunity I couldn’t let pass, and was ecstatic when I was offered the role!
I’m lucky enough to have Richard take me under his wing and share his knowledge and experience with me.
Alot of this week has been observing piercings and getting a feel for how the shop is run on a day to day basis. But having completed my first week – I’ve already learnt so much, and know there’s a long way to go yet!

I thought the most important and terrifying part would be actually sticking a needle into someone’s flesh – THAT, I’ve discovered is the quick and easy part.
Everything else, like setting up the piercing studio in a practical and clinical manor, where everything is to hand and contaminated equipment disposed of effectively and safely, whilst maintaining the highest hygiene standards – all of which has far more importance and procedures that I ever considered before.

Having got a feel for the preparation standards of the studio, I’ve also been given training on how to clean and mark up on clients. Of which I’ve found really challenging, as I’ve quickly learnt that everyone is shaped differently -in particular ear lobes at different heights, shapes and sizes!

As well as the practical aspects of the job, I’ve also started to comply a list of our suppliers to start organizing purchase ordering (or checking purchase orders) and organising tons of jewellery by length, width and type/shape, which of course all is all part of the job.

Although I’ve only been here a week, I really feel at home already here. The rest of the team at Real/BMG have been so welcoming, and helpful to guide me – especially if I have no idea if I’m doing something right or not!

So watch this space… there’s still more to come as the weeks go on. (I’ll start to get some pics included hopefully, and I’m sure my blogging abilities will slowly improve too!)

Katie Mitchell
Body piercing apprentice @ Real Piercing Studios

Part of BMG body jewellery

This particular post was published by Richard Soper, author.

CEO of Body Matters Gold Ltd.

Body Piercings & Pregnancy

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Richard Soper

Body piercings and pregnancy – should I remove it ??

Belly Bars

Each and every one of us has a different type of skin ranging from super flexible to quite tough skin. Many ladies find they can leave a normal belly bar in during pregnancy for the whole term even giving birth with the piercing in place. However at the other end of the scale if someone has sensitive skin or a low immune system the piercing may become problematic from early stages. This can entail redness and itching around the piercing itself.

Once the belly starts to grow say 4 a four month bump, the piercing may start to become under pressure. This is the stage you need to decide if you are going to remove it or replace the jewellery with something more suitable to try and preserve the piercing full term. If the piercing is quite small ie 6mm or less from one hole to the other you may find a small ring does the job quite easily. However if you don’t like rings or your piercing is over 6mm you may want to try a pregnancy bar. These are basically a normal plain ball on the top (normal 4 or 5mm) a piece of PTFE (Polytetrafluoroethylene) the best know brand of this is Teflon. Basically it looks like a piece of flexible plastic. The other end can be a basic ball 5 or 6mm or something more ornate such as this custom made white gold and sapphire daisy made by BMG.

You can see the PTFE bar on this with was removed and replaced with a white gold shaft after the birth.

White Gold & Sapphire Pregnancy Belly Bar

It is worth talking this through with your midwife as each belly will form a different shape during pregnancy, some may retain shape of piercing and some belly buttons stick out due to the pressure, in these cases it is advisable to remove the jewellery.

Nipple Piercings during pregnancy

Gold Nipple Bar With Slave Ring

Nipple piercings are generally OK during pregnancy however the nipples do tend to become more sensitive meaning the piercing is a bit sore and more prone to infection. It is a good idea to consider the birth at this stage as breast feeding is likely to be hampered with jewellery through your nipples.

Some ladies remove the jewellery during feeding and replace it afterwards but please remember that the body secretes lymph through old piercings and even when fully healed the pregnancy may lower you immune system and cause the old piercing to secrete lymph which in turn will increase risk of infection to both you and the baby.

Feeding with jewellery in place maybe possible (location of jewellery permitting) but It could also make the baby’s mouth sore and be dangerous. You don’t want anything swallowed by your baby. So is there any point in going through pregnancy with your nipple jewellery in place just to remove it after the birth. Please remember most piercings can be redone at a more appropriate time.

Clitoral and female genital piercings.

Normally these piercings will not be affected during pregnancy except they may become swollen with the increased blood flow of pregnancy. Most midwives will quite rightly insist on removal for birth as there is no point in risking the piercings catching on the baby or any towels or anything during the birth. This is of course just common sense.

Platinum and Diamond Barbell with Zip Detail

Platinum & Diamond Zip clit bar

For more information please call Real Piercing Shop or visit the website www.bodymattersgold.com

May 2013
M	T	W	T	F	S	S
« Apr
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31