Color Coordinating Body Piercing Junkies Love The “Dual Jewel”! Double Jeweled Curved Barbell
Written: May 26 '05
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Product Rating:
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Pros: Easy to remove, nice look, “dual jewel” design, color options.
Cons: Paris Hilton wears one ....
The Bottom Line: Make your belly button sparkle with one of these!
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| Freak369's Full Review: Double-jeweled Curved Barbell |
If you are looking for a “princess piece” for your belly button, then look no farther than the double jeweled curved barbell. When I was going through my “ripped abs” phase I wore one of these in my navel but outside of that, there’s no other place on your body that you’d really have a use for this. Because one ball is 5 mm and the other is 8mm it has a nice look to it but like I said, it’s really not practical to wear it any where else. If you are into color coordinating, want to add a little flash to your belly button or are looking for something a little different then this is a great pick Just like the plain curved barbell it is easy to clean, will last for years if properly cared for and has a unique look to it.
Double Jeweled Curved Barbell
These are dual jewel curved barbells that have the jewels inset into the balls on the ends of the barbell. 99% of the time they are used for belly buttons but there are some people who insist on wearing them elsewhere which, to me, looks pretty silly. These are nice if you want to add a little accent to your navel piercing and providing that you purchase them from a reputable company, they will last a long time. One of the biggest problems that people have with these is that the balls are two different sizes so they slide them in the wrong way or have trouble getting a replacement ball if they lose one of them - this brings up another problem. Some companies make these with only one ball that screws off and others make them with both as removable pieces. Add into the mx that the companies that make only one ball removable - some make the 5mm fixed or non-removable and other make the 8mm fixed. This can pose a real problem if you need to get a replacement since some companies make “exclusive” pieces - loosely translated - they rake you over the coals if you need to order a replacement.
Something that you should insist on is that the base metal be surgical stainless steel. If you are going with something that is gold bonded or titanium then save these picks for after your piercing has healed and you know you are going to keep it for a long time. Most of the double jeweled curved barbells on the market are made from surgical grade stainless steel; this is the safest metal to use for body piercings and is the easiest to keep clean. If you are going to buy one of these and the core metal used for it isn’t listed you should ask before you buy it because most places won’t accept returns on this type of jewelry unless it is defective. Caring for this is pretty simple and in most cases all you need to do is remove it, soak it, check the threading and reinsert it. Sadly most of these have an exterior threading on them so if you are using this for an initial piercing you can expect a little more pain than usual when you go to remove it or clean it. If possible try to look for one that has an internal threading on it so you can take it out and replace it with a little less pain.
Colors
These come in a wide range of colors but each manufacturer has their own cute names for them; one place might call it lavender while another might call it purple. The most popular colors are clear [crystal], blue [baby blue, navy blue], amber [light brown], pink [frosted and clear], purple, green [light and dark] and red. Since each company is using different types of stones if you need to order a replacement ball for one of these you should stick with the original vendor or you might end up with something that doesn’t look like an exact match. If you want custom colors you can contact one of the specialty manufacturers that will make one specifically for you - these are high priced but if you insist on having something that is “one of a kind” [cough, Paris Hilton, cough] then go for it.
Price
Depending on where you shop you can expect to pay anywhere from $5.99 to $49.99 for these - that is a huge price range but it just goes to show that some places do have a huge mark up on what they sell. You aren’t getting some rare gem or jewel in this so why bother paying big bucks for it? There are some that are custom jobs that have diamonds in them but they are a lot more expensive and unless you are one of the Hilton sisters, chances are you are going to want to stick with the ones that have ‘common’ stones. If you shop online you can find this for an extremely reasonable price but you will want to make sure that you are getting something that is well made and won’t have the gems falling out after a month.
Sizes
These come in a few different sizes with the most popular being the 12 and 14 gauge in 3/8, 7/16 and one inch sizes. Getting the size that is best for you is something that you need to discuss with your piercer - things to factor in are the depth of the piercing, how much area it covers and what gauge you were pierced with. I wouldn’t suggest these for an initial piercing since these do draw a lot of attention and the last thing you want are people looking at your navel when it’s all red and still in the healing process. Besides that, if you can’t stand the piercing or it gets irritated you will have sunk money into something that you really have no use for. Some online sites have a guide that will walk you through picking out the best sized piece for your body so make use of these types of things if your piercer isn’t willing to help you out with suggestions.
The Bottom Line
Like I said, these are pretty much something for the navel area so if you have a belly button piercing and you want to add a little razzle dazzle to it - then this is a nice pick. I really suggest that you not use this for initial piercings because it is a little painful to get in and out unless you get one that has internal threading. You’ll get the best price on these if you shop online but you have to make sure that you know the company that you are dealing with and that they are going to be sending you something that is worth the money and that they’ll let you know up front whether or not it is sterile. The one that I purchased is still in nice shape but I haven’t worn it in a long time. That just goes to show you that this is something that’s best saved for those who have had a navel piercing for a while and intend on keeping it for a few years - otherwise you end up like me - with a really nice looking piece of jewelry that you can’t wear on any other part of your body.
As always, thanks for the read!
~^V^~ Freak ~^V^~
© 2005 Freak369
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If you are new to the body piercing scene or want to know more about it ...you can also check out my editorial about body piercing basics here ...If You Can Pinch It, You Can Pierce It
Recommended:
Yes
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