Measuring Body Jewelry

Even for folks with countless piercings, body jewelry sizing and measurement can get confusing. It’s no surprise people get their measurements mixed up—gauges, lengths, and diameters can be a real maze to navigate. But no worries—that’s why we’re here. Refer to this handy measurement guide any time you’re scratching your head.

BREAKING DOWN THE BASICS

Gauge

Gauge refers to the thickness of the shaft or bar that goes through your piercing. It also refers to the width of your piercing. Gauge is a unit of measurement that can be converted into millimeters and inches. You’ll find a handy table below showing all available body jewelry gauges and their metric conversions.

Length

Length refers to the overall space between the end pieces or balls of a shaft or barbell. This measurement excludes any external threading that might protrude from the shaft.

Diameter

Diameter refers to the widest point of any given piece of body jewelry. Most often, you’ll be measuring the inner diameter of a hoop or circular barbell (measured from the widest inner point of the circle).

MEASURING MADE EASY

Check out our quick reference charts below for quick access to all standard body jewelry sizes and metric conversions. You’ll also find all gauge conversions to millimeters and inches. You can check back here any time you need a quick reference. We also offer body jewelry measurement cards, perfect for having on hand in your shop.

MEASURING BODY JEWELRY CHEAT SHEET

First, here’s your comprehensive cheat sheet for measuring all kinds of body jewelry by length, diameter, gauge, and more.

STANDARD BODY JEWELRY SIZES BY PIERCING

Second, here’s your complete guide to standard body jewelry sizes by piercing type. You’ll find all standard gauges, barbell lengths, and body jewelry types for all the most common body piercings.

BALL & JEWELRY DIAMETER + GAUGE CONVERSION CHART

Ever find yourself struggling to remember how many millimeters each gauge is? We’ve got you covered. Here’s your cheat sheet for all gauge conversions and standard ball sizes across the body jewelry board.

QUICK-MEASURE CHART

Need to quickly measure a barbell length or gauge size? Here’s your second handy reference for quick measurements on the fly.

Download these measurement sheets here so you can have them on-hand whenever you need.

ALL ABOUT THREADING

Most body jewelry (aside from threadless jewelry) has threading. The purpose of threading? Holding the jewelry together. It’s the thing that attaches the balls or end pieces to the barbell or shaft.

Moreover, these threads are featured on the balls or ends of a shaft, so you can attach those pieces to the barbell. A thread is a spiral ridge that winds either internally or externally around the metal like that on a bolt or the inside of a nut. Threaded body jewelry includes straight barbells, curved (bent) barbells, circular barbells, labret studs, dermal anchors, and surface barbells.

INTERNAL VERSUS EXTERNAL THREADING

Externally threading is found on both ends of the shaft. Appropriately, it’s external from the shaft, protruding outward. Internally threaded jewelry, on the other hand, hides its threads inside the barbell or shaft. Consequently, we recommend internally threaded jewelry for new piercings, since externally threaded jewelry juts out and can irritate sensitive or inflamed new piercings.

THREADLESS JEWELRY

Threadless accessories have become more and more popular in recent years. Since there’s no threading holding the parts of your jewelry together, it depends on a strong pin that fits securely into the shaft. Additionally, threadless jewelry is incredibly secure (no loose end pieces or balls dropping at random!) and a favorite for new piercings, since there’s no threading that can irritate your piercing. Learn all about threadless body jewelry in our blog Top Tips for Using Threadless Jewelry.

THREAD PATTERNS UNVEILED: YOUR CHEAT SHEET

Here’s a quick cheat sheet for common thread patterns you’ll find on most body jewelry. But remember, always double-check the product details before you hit that checkout button. You want to make sure you’re purchasing the appropriate length, gauge, and threading for your piercing.

TIME TO SIZE UP

Sizing up your jewelry doesn’t have to be a head-scratcher. With these insights, you’re well-equipped for your next piercing or jewelry upgrade. To get started, check out our full selection of body jewelry. We highly recommend the premier brand Tilum for the highest quality internally threaded and threadless accessories for any piercing. Not sure what jewelry material to wear? High-quality stainless steel and titanium are always great options. You’ll find all the top benefits of titanium body jewelry here.

Have fun boosting your body jewelry selection!