News From Anatometal

February 2011

In This Issue

These are a few of our favorite things...

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Love is in the air

Just when you thought you had safely made it through all the holiday madness... here comes St. Valentines Day!!

There are many enchanting legends surrounding Valentines Day and why it is celebrated the world over, but it was in fact Geoffrey Chaucer who was first to associate the day with romantic love in the poem Parlement of Foules:

"For this was on seynt Volantynys day
Whan euery bryd comyth there to chese his make"

From those two sentences, the modern interpretation of the holiday was born. Of course the rituals of St. Valentines have evolved with the years since Parlement of Foules was written, but you get the idea.

We like traditions over here at Anatometal, especially traditions that involve showering your loved ones in sparkly gifts and sweet treats! We can't think of anything better than receiving a pair of Anatometal eyelets or a Heart Navel Curve from our sweetheart, can you?! Call us today to get your order in for the best Valentines Day gift out there!

These are a few of our favorite things...

- Plumeria Eyelets - Inspired by one of Hawaii's most precious gems, Anatometal brings you the Plumeria Eyelet. Choose from stainless steel or solid 18k gold for the outer setting; the center flower can be cast in silver, bronze, or gold. Any of our round gems can be set in the plumeria; see the Gems/Metals section of our main website for full selection. Our Plumeria Eyelet is made from 00ga to 1" and is available in single or double flare.

- Gold Heart Navel Cluster - Cast in solid 18k gold, this piece makes an excellent addition to anyone's jewelry collection. Our Gold Heart Navel Clusters are made in 14ga and 12ga. Our full selection of heart gems is available as well as any round stone for the top piece and gems surrounding the heart.

- Heart Eyelets - Our Heart Eyelets are made in either stainless steel or solid 18k gold:1/2" to 2". The heart insert however, can be cast in bronze, silver, or 18k gold. Choose from double flare or single flare. Sometimes simple is just right.

- Threaded Stars - Available in titanium and solid 18k gold, our Threaded Stars are made from solid stock material and are designed for internally threaded jewelry. This piece is hand polished to a mirror finish and is available from 18ga to 12ga.

- Heart Plugs - If you are a fan of our Star Plugs, then you are going to love our Heart plugs too! Available in stainless steel, titanium, and solid 18k gold: 16ga to 00ga. Our Heart Plugs have a removable flat disk which acts as the backing, providing an ideal way to wear plugs without a back flare or O rings.

Meet Anatometal

We know how much you love your Anatometal and what it stands for: handcrafted right here in the USA, made with only the highest quality materials. There is so much that goes into each piece as it moves from our machine shop, to the polishing room, to the gold room, through quality assurance, packaging, and to our shipping department. We thought you would like to get to know the people who make that Gemmed Eyelet, Heart Navel Curve, and Nostril Screw possible! In the coming months, we will be invading all the departments here at Anatometal Headquarters and bringing our hard workers right to you!
This month we bring you...

From Design, Meet Brian Gilliam!

Anatometal: What do you do here at Anatometal?
Brian: I'm the shop fall guy *laughs* No, no, I'm a designer and programmer.

Anatometal: How long have you worked for Anatometal?
Brian: Ummmmm I have been with Anatometal since August of 1994.

Anatometal: What is your favorite piece that Anatometal makes?
Brian: I would have to say the Princess Eyelets.

Anatometal: Tell us 3 things about yourself.
Brian: Three things about me? Let's see.... I am a Pisces.
Anatometal: Your sign didn't change in that recent revelation?
Brian: No! No change, that was all a hoax!
Anatometal: *laughing* OK, OK, 2 more things please...
Brian: I have a bachelors of applied science in audio engineering and I HATE cilantro.

Anatometal: Ninjas or Pirates?
Brian: *throws head back chuckling* I'm going with ninjas

Thanks for letting us get to know you a bit Brian! Who will be featured next month? Be sure to check back to find out!

Materials

Surely you have heard many body jewelry companies make a fuss over the materials their products are made of. In fact, organizations like the Association of Professional Piercers (APP) even maintain standards on acceptable materials for both new and healed piercings. There are all sorts of coined terms companies throw around when describing their jewelry, but what does it all really mean?

With a multitude of different materials used in body jewelry nowadays: metals, woods, plastics, glass, porcelain, stones (the list could go on); it's difficult to keep track of it all. What can be autoclaved? Which could induce an allergic reaction? Which tends to harbor bacteria? Let's take a look at a few specific metals here: ASTM F-138 stainless steel, ASTM F-136 titanium, and Niobium. Let's find out what all those numbers stand for and where those industry standards come from.

ASTM chemical composition requirements for steel to be considered implant grade.

ASTM stands for American Society for Testing and Materials and their standards are used around the world to improve product quality, enhance safety, facilitate market access and trade, and build consumer confidence. Their criteria for an implant grade rating is based on the presence, or lack of presence of certain elements. If the ASTM has not rated the metal that is going into your fresh piercing, you probably don't want it there.

Stainless steel is the most common material used in body jewelry in the United States today. Allergic reactions, when they occur, are rarely due to the stainless

Stainless steel Curved Barbells

steel but from other factors (most commonly from mechanical irritation or harsh cleaning products). Some people however, do have allergies to the nickle found in the metal. Polishing the steel to a mirror finish results in a protective layer of chromium oxide that helps keep the nickel content trapped inside. Stainless Steel consists of a variety of alloys and many of them are used for body jewelry, but only a few specific grades are proven biocompatible: steel that is ASTM F-138 is one of them. What this all means is steel that is ASTM F-138 compliant is steel that has passed the criteria for implantation.

Titanium Gemmed Eyelets

Titanium is another common metal considered suitable for body jewelry, in fact all 38 alloys are compliant for implant. Though there are many commercially used grades of the material, the only one recommended for use in piercing jewelry by the APP is Grade 23, which is widely used in our industry as it best meets our needs. Because of its nickle free content, titanium rarely induces an allergic reaction in its wearers and because it is highly resistant to corrosion, it is less likely than other materials to react with body fluids. Being a lightweight metal (around 60% the weight of stainless steel given the same volume), makes titanium quite appealing for a piece of body jewelry, especially when you are looking to wear larger sizes. Aesthetically titanium has another draw, it can be anodized (see January's newsletter for full definition) in several brilliant colors.

Niobium is a metal that actually resembles titanium in certain aspects, one of which being that it does not react with body fluids. Heavier, and more expensive to produce than titanium, you won't find as much body jewelry created with the metal. One thing to watch out for with Niobium is if it is not as pure as possible, it can lead to allergic reactions to the material. Niobium is another metal that can be anodized for colors similar to those produced with titanium. I am sure you noticed that Niobium lacks a rating from the ASTM, this is because Niobium is elemental; nothing is added to the metal, which eliminates the need for a rating, and this is part of the reason it is so biocompatible.

Yikes, that sure is a lot of information! Hopefully we were able to clear a little bit up about the differences between a few metals that are well used in body jewelry and give you a better understanding of what is good for your piercing and why. If you have further questions or things you are still unsure about, you should always ask your piercer. Being well informed about what you are putting into your body is never a bad thing and can save you a major headache later!

Ask a Piercer

Stretching

The Question: How soon should I stretch?

The Answer:

- Stretching piercings, especially ear piercings, has become increasingly popular over the years as more and more jewelry options become available. Done correctly, stretching is a relatively easy process that can yield lovely results. Of course the opposite is also true.

- For most piercings, 6-8 weeks will be adequate time to allow for healing and preparing for the next stretch, this includes but is not limited to soft tissue such as ear lobes, oral piercings, navels and some genital piercings. Other piercings may require a much longer period of time due to the difference in tissue structure such as nipples, septums, cartilage and more complex genital piercings. In these cases, it may take more than 4-6 months for the tissue to be relaxed enough to be ready to stretch again.

- In all cases, the best rule is: don't force it. If the piercing is not ready to stretch, replace the old size and give yourself ample time to heal before attempting to increase the size again. Know your body! Always seek the help of a knowledgeable, professional piercer if questions arise.