About Bare Bones

Organic Body Jewelry - A Brief History

Natural jewelry was amongst the very first items produced by mankind along with primitive tools some 200,000 years ago.

Organic body jewelry is thought to have first been worn some 50,000 years ago in Africa using such items as fish bones and wild boar tusks in ear and nose piercings.

Over the next millennia artisans began carving and polishing body jewelry making such items as Plugs, Tunnels, Talons, Spikes and U-Bolts using materials like Horn, Stone, Bone, Shell and Wood.

Organic body jewelry has a very long history and is cherished for it’s unique characteristics, it’s natural beauty and wearing comfort. Unlike modern mass produced steel jewelry which feels cold and unfriendly, organics feel warm and natural without producing the bad orders associated with wearing steel, silicone and UV jewelry.

Organic Body Jewelry made from Wood

Organic Body jewelry made of wood has great versatility. It is lightweight, so even a large stretched piercing can be accommodated without discomfort.

Wood comes in a variety of colors and hardness, depending on the source, which can be anything from the reedy bamboo to rock-solid ebony.

There are, however, some cautions that should be taken regarding body jewelry made of wood. Although most raw woods are relatively safe, there are some that could be considered toxic when brought into contact with the skin, especially for a long duration. The severity of the reaction to these toxins vary from person to person, but the best thing you can do is avoid them altogether. We only use natural woods which we have been test worn ourselves to be sure there are no negative reactions. For more information on the types of wood considered toxic, see this great document on A Guide to Potentially Dangerous Hardwoods for the Piercing Community.

We do not recommend wearing manufactured woods like Dymond Wood which is made by gluing different colored woods together and is artificially colored. They might look great but contain chemicals which will cause negative reactions.

Wood cannot be autoclave sterilized, and is not recommended for new or unhealed piercings. Don’t allow wood jewelry to get saturated or over-heated (remove jewelry before swimming, bathing, or entering a sauna), but it can be safely cleaned with mild liquid anti-bacterial soap and a small amount of water, providing that it is dried immediately. Then it can be lightly treated once a week with jojoba or olive oil to prevent cracking. Tea tree oil can also be used for cleaning and to add sheen.

Organic Body Jewelry made from Horn & Bone

Although they consist of different substances, bone and horn body jewelry can be treated essentially the same. They are semi-hard, porous, and are carved into different shapes for a variety of body jewelry uses. Our jewelry is made from Asian domestic Buffalo Bone and Horn and no animal is ever killed, we only use Bone and Horn from animals which have died from natural causes.

Bone and Horn are relatively lightweight, come in natural shades of white to black, and can be carved into a multitude of shapes. Bone and Horn are not autoclavable, but can be carefully washed with mild antibacterial soap and a small amount of water and then treated once a month with jojoba, coconut or olive oil. They are not recommended for new or unhealed piercings and should not be worn during swimming, bathing or sleeping.

How do I keep my Shell Organics clean and looking great?

Periodically wash them with an antibacterial soap and water and dry them afterward. You can apply either vitamin E, jojoba, olive, peanut or mineral oil they all work well and should be applied before use and periodically when your jewelry is stored in a cool place. Shell jewelry is very hardy and keeps it’s natural shine well but be careful not to drop it often or treat it too roughly as it can be chipped. All organics respond well to an occasional light hand polish using a cotton cloth.

So how do I measure Organics?

Exactly the same way you measure manufactured steel and plastic body jewelry! We use the US gauge system as this is most commonly used throughout the world.

Unlike the vast majority of organics manufacturers and producers, we go to great lengths to be sure our gauges are correct to within 1/64” and never smaller than the stated gauge. Always measure the diameter [gauge] of organics at the wearing surface which for example is the largest measurement on a curved shape (hook, spiral etc) that can be used. Flared plugs are also measured at the wearing surface, not the flared ends. All of the diameters [gauges] mentioned in our shop are measured on the wearing surface of the jewelry.

Always measure the diameter of organics at the wearing surface which for example is the largest measurement on a curved shape (hook, spiral etc) that can be used. Flared plugs are also measured at the wearing surface, not the flared ends. All of the diameters mentioned in our shop are measured on the wearing surface of the jewelry.

We get many customers complaining that the jewelry they received is the wrong size but in fact it is not. What normally happens is they either don't know how to measure organics correctly or they have purchased from another supplier for instance a pair of 1" plugs which are in reality 1 1/4". When the correctly sized 1" pair they have purchased from us arrives they believe we have sent them plugs which are too small.

PLEASE be sure of your size before ordering and measure your jewelry properly when it arrives and if your not sure how to measure them then have your piercer measure them for you before letting us know they are incorrect size.

PLUGS AND TUNNELS ROUND :

Gauge - measure the diameter of the plugs or tunnels at the middle of the wearing surface.

Wearing Surface Length Double Flared Plugs - measure from flare tip to flare tip.

Wearing Surface Length Single Flared Plugs - measure from O-ring to flare tip.

Wearing Surface Length Straight Plugs - measure from O-ring to O-ring.

TEARDROPS AND OVALS : To get a quick idea of what gauge Teardrops and Ovals are measure top to bottom and then side to side. Add these measurements together and divide by 2 = gauge. This method is quick and easy though it may be a millimeter or so out as it does not take into account the different shaped curves of Teardrops and Ovals. To measure Teardrop and Oval plugs accurately you must measure the circumference of the wearing area.

As an example take a 3/4" teardrop plug [19mm] and a piece of string – run the string around the actual wearing area holding one end of the string and loop it around the wearing area.

Mark off with a pen where the string comes back around and meets the end.

Now measure the string’s length on a ruler and you have the circumference – a 3/4 [19mm] plug is 60mm in circumference for example.

Here is an easy to use Circumference Calculator so that you can check the size of any teardrop, oval, triangle, round plug etc by measuring the circumference. http://www.athropolis.com/popup/c-circ2.htm

WEARING SURFACE LENGTH - measure Flare Tip to Flare Tip.

SPIRALS, TALONS, HOOKS, UBOLTS, TAPERS, PINCHERS, TWISTS etc.

Gauge – measure at the largest part of any of these shaped organic body jewelry. The largest diameter is always where the jewelry is worn in the ear, septum etc

We recommend using a Vernier Caliper to measure your jewelry.

Plugs up to 00g are 3/8 length and gauges larger than 00g are 1/2” measured from flare tip to flare tip – if you need a pair longer or shorter than this let us know and we will make them for you.

Everyone is different of course, some people have thinner or thicker ear lobes meaning they need shorter or longer plugs. Ear Plug length is measured from Flare Tip to Flare Tip.

If you need a special length just let us know and we’ll be more than happy to make them to your particular size/length.

The best Body Jewelry is Handmade and Organic!

Each piece of Bare Bones jewelry comes in various shapes including Double Flare, Single Flare, Top Hat, Double Top Hat and Double O-Ring Straights. Most importantly, each piece is handmade in house starting from the very basic raw materials such as a buffalo horn or a natural piece of abalone shell.

The basic shape is outlined and cut out using a hand saw and then the fine detail work is begun. The artisans must keep in mind that they are making a pair and be constantly checking to see that the shape and size of each piece matches correctly.

The detail work is painstakingly done using hand tools such as gougers and small files which is a very timing consuming process undertaken only by our most experienced carvers. The final process is polishing the pair which is done using natural cotton and natural buffing abrasives containing no contaminates, and are finally hand washed and hand polish with cotton cloth. The pair then go through our strict quality control to be sure they are a properly matched pair of correct gauge. A matched pair takes between 2 and 8 hours to make depending on the complexity of design – easy!

Give Organics a Shot!

If you have not tried Organics yet we highly recommend you give them a shot as they bring an entirely new dimension to your wearing experience and a unique personal touch not possible with mass manufactured commercial body jewelry. Hope to hear from you soon !

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