captive bead ring

A piece of body piercing jewelry which can be worn in the ear, nose, nipple, etc. Consists of a crescent shaped piece of SSS which pinches a bead between its two ends. Often considered a piece of signal jewelry (even if just worn on a necklace) to mark the wearer as a body art afficiando and not a straight.

The mainstay of the body piercing industry. These consist of an open ring, into which a dimpled bead is inserted. The ring is then tightened by the use of pliers. However, while tightening or removing the bead, keep these points in mind:

• Work slowly, it will come out.
• With acrylics, the use of pliers is not a necessity, but if you do use them, be very careful so as not to shatter the jewelry.
• If using a homemade pair of pliers, tape up the ends so that you do not put scratches or grooves in your jewelry. If you do damage your jewelry, do not wear it, as bacteria collects in scratches easily. Your local piercer may be able to polish it back into usable condition.

If you change beads often, you may want to invest a pair of bead opening pliers, and also a pair of bead closing pliers. These virtually eliminate the danger of scratches or marks, and make it great deal easier to change your jewelry.