A: We are an APP (Association of Professional Piercers) certified manufacturer. We use 316 LVM ASTM-F-138-97 implant grade stainless steel. This is the highest quality implant grade stainless steel available today. The “L” refers to the low carbon content. The “VM” means vacuum melted. This stainless steel is produced in a vacuum environment. This method eliminates dust particles and any other debris from forming with the stainless. All our jewelry is free of nicks, scratches, burrs, and polishing compound. 

All of our gold jewelry is made of full hard 14K gold. Jewelry is also available in 18K gold. All Body Circle Designs jewelry is lead free because we do not use solder in any of our jewelry.
 

A: Body Circle Designs does not sell, trade, or rent any of your personal information to others for any purpose. All information received about our customers is held in total privacy by Body Circle Designs.

When you place your order with Body Circle Designs we use a secure server. The secure server software encrypts all information you input before it is sent to us. 

All of the customer data we collect is protected against unauthorized access.
 

A: The first thing you need to decide is the gauge of the jewelry you want. The gauge refers to the thickness of the stock (or wire) that the jewelry is made from. Body Circle Designs uses the Brown and Sharpe gauge. This is the standard of the body piercing jewelry manufacturing industry. In the Brown and Sharpe scale the higher the number the smaller the wire. Hence, 20ga. is the smallest wire size we use and 00ga. is the largest. We have provided a conversion chart that gives the gauge sizes in both inches and millimeters.

You next need to decide what size jewelry you want. Sizing is stated for types of jewelry in their respective sections. If you are unsure of the gauge or size jewelry that you need we suggest that you check with your local professional piercer to make sure that you are ordering the correct gauge and size.
 

A: Our conversion chart provides you with both gauge sizes and lengths converted to millimeters. This should help you in determining what gauge and size jewelry you need to order to match or upgrade your current jewelry. If you are having difficulty, you may e-mail us and we will do everything we can to help you determine what gauge and size jewelry you want.
 

A: Yes we do have full color catalog that contains all of our products. Please click here to order a catalog. There is a $5.00 shipping and handling fee for catalog orders. A free catalog is included with all first time orders for new customers. All existing customers ordering from the new web site will also receive a new catalog. The catalog is 8 1/2” X 11” and is a full color depiction of all of our products. There are also many pictures of our friends wearing Body Circle Designs jewelry.
 

A: Absolutely. Our primary business is wholesale. You may call us toll free at 800-244-8430 or e-mail us and we will be happy to send a catalog and wholesale pricing information. We will need your physical address, phone number, contact person, and either a state resale number or the number of your business license.
There is no charge for a wholesale catalog.
 

A: Body Circle Designs makes many items that are not listed on the web site. This includes barbells longer than 1”, rings larger than 1”, larger gauge 14K jewelry, 18K jewelry. We also make many sizes and styles of custom jewelry. Please contact us via e-mail, phone, or fax and will see if we can produce what it is you are looking for. You will receive an answer regarding your custom jewelry question within 1 to 2 working days.
 

A: We will be happy to take your order and other necessary information over the phone. Just give us a call and we will get your information and process your order.
 

A: You may mail in your order with either a check or money order. Please be sure to tell us exactly what it is you want. Please include a shipping address and a phone number or e-mail address in case we have a question about your order.
 

A: Because of the nature of body piercing jewelry we cannot accept returns. We request that you be very certain of the size and style jewelry that you order. In some instances we will exchange unopened Stainless Steel jewelry. Call or e-mail us if the jewelry you receive is not what you expected. We will try to take care of you. There is no return or exchange on gold jewelry, unless defective. Most of our gold jewelry is made on a custom basis and we therefore cannot accept returns or exchanges. If you are unsure of the size or style jewelry you want, we recommend that you consult your local professional piercer for help. If you have any questions please call or e-mail and we will try to help as much as we are able. It is very hard to determine what size jewelry you need via telephone.

Body Circle Designs unconditionally guarantees that your jewelry will be perfect when it arrives. If there is a defect in your jewelry when it is received we will gladly send a replacement.
 

A: We carry a large inventory of 316LVM Stainless steel jewelry. Most orders are filled within one or two days. Some orders may take a little longer. Gold jewelry is usually shipped within one week. Custom jewelry has to be made to order but usually ships in under 2 weeks. We will contact you when we receive your order and let you know if there will be any delay in getting your order shipped.
 

A: All of the shipping options are listed here. All shipments to outside of the United States are shipped via US Mail – Global Priority. This costs $ 10.00 and usually takes less than one week.
 

A: We will e-mail you the day that your order is shipped. If there will be a delay of more than a day on your order we will let you know the day your order is received. If you have any other concerns about your order please feel free to e-mail us or call us on our toll free number: 800-244-8430. Our business hours are 8 AM to 4:30 PM Pacific time, Monday through Friday.
 

A: Body Circle Designs is a jewelry manufacturing company. We do not do any piercing or give piercing advice. We strongly recommend that you see a professional piercer about any piercing problems that you might be experiencing. 

You can find an APP (Association of Professional Piercers) approved piercer at the APP web site: www.safepiercing.org. Here is a newsgroup: rec.arts.bodyart. This newsgroup has a wealth of information about general piercing questions: materials used for jewelry, aftercare information, lists of piercing studios, and much more. You can also visit Tribalectic which has numerous piercing resources for the public.

A: Body Circle Designs does not recommend piercers. 
We suggest that you contact the APP (Association of Professional Piercers) at www.safepiercing.org. The APP only approves piercers who meet stringent safety and procedural standards. Body piercing is a totally safe procedure if done properly. Please be safe rather than sorry.
 

A: Body Circle Designs sells needles to professional piercers only. We believe that piercing should only be done by highly trained professionals under the proper conditions. We therefore do not sell needles, forceps, or needle receiving tubes to our retail customers.

Body Circle Designs does sell insertion tapers to those who are comfortable with gauging up their piercings. We recommend that piercings be enlarged only after they are totally healed and only enlarged one gauge at a time. We strongly encourage our customers to consult a professional piercer in their area with any concerns about gauging up their piercings.

We also sell ring opening pliers, ring closing pliers, and brass lined pliers to customers who frequently take their jewelry in and out.

Please check our tool section for these items.
 

A: Basically, the karat value of gold indicates how much pure gold and how much other metals are alloyed together. Pure gold (24K) is too soft to hold a shape or a high polish. Other metals such as silver, copper, and zinc are added to the pure gold to give it hardness while keeping the color close to pure gold. The higher the karat value the more pure gold it contains. 14K is 58.33% (14/24ths) pure gold; 18K is 75% (18/24ths) pure gold.
 

A: Unless you have an unusual sensitivity or allergy to metals 14K gold is fine. 14K gold holds its shape better and stays polished longer because it is harder. 18K gold is more hypoallergenic but we know of very few adverse reactions to 14K gold, even in new piercings. If you are extremely sensitive or allergic to metals, your best bet is our 316LVM stainless steel jewelry. It is very hypoallergenic and approved for surgical implants. For tongue piercings we recommend 316LVM stainless steel only. 14K and 18K gold tends to discolor because of the high acidity of peoples mouths.
 

A: White gold is the same percentage of pure gold but contains other metals used to achieve the white color. Nickel is usually used and because of the high frequency of allergic reactions to nickel we do not use white gold. There are a number of other colored golds, all of which contain alloys not suitable for deep tissue piercing.