TOUR ORDER Gold Index Jewelry Index

© 2003  Terms of Sale Unimax

 

Threading:   Always choose External threading for Gold.
Customers don't want to lose their jewelry balls
and will blame you if a ball falls off.  

Internal gold threads are soft and steel threads
your customers will over-tighten the balls and strip the threading. 
Count on it....They will damage their jewelry and blame you.

Avoid this problem, choose external threading. 

In the beginning of modern USA piercing 
internal threading was standard because that's what the few 
jewelry manufacturers were making. There was no external threading.

Ten years ago, external threading was rough, (and sometimes sharp),
and we had a hard time inserting. (Personal piercing experience).
New external threading began developing as an affordable alternative and
cheaper than internal.  We loved internal because there were no threads
to get caught but we also wanted to make piercing more affordable.
By 1995 external developed to a smooth thread and there were no more insertion problems so external was a good alternative.
"Internal-only" enthusiasts, (encouraged by the internal-only manufacturers) began claiming alleged superiority of internal because it was "internal."  Internal is not superior because it is internal and has no rational support. 

Before 1994 it was true but by 1996 it was a fabrication supported by  manufacturers to promote their products they made.

We were a pioneer of gold body jewelry and internal was the first kind sold.
The problem of stripping appeared right away and a 
steel threaded male post with steel sleeve was then developed 
to overcome the stripping problem.
The steel post and sleeve caused discolorations in the gold so this
was abandoned and external replaced internal.

Eventually a good externally threaded bar could be made that held very good
with only a rare stripping problem.
If balls easily become loose that is a different problem - a length threading problem
that has nothing to do with internal vs. external.
There is no rational debate and no one can rationally defend internal as superior.

Today a demand has been created for internal gold threaded jewelry which is now being produced with 10 Kt post and thread to help prevent the stripping.
A confusion obscures this issue because traditionally produced internally threaded jewelry made here has a higher finish level than most imported goods.  

We recognize and appreciate the high lustrous finish produced by USA manufacturers such as Anatometal but not because it is internal, but because it is polished to a wonderful degree of perfection.  USA producers can make the finest body jewelry in the world.

Gold body jewelry is now being made by regular jewelry trade manufacturers who see a market for themselves to expand into.  It will be interesting to see what happens over the next few years.

As a final word: -- and a concern expressed by some:

Internally threaded jewelry accumulates dirt and bacteria in that tiny hole in the bar and cannot be cleaned adequately - even with an ultrasonic (except for larger gauges).  Externally threaded bars avoid this problem.  The hole in the threaded ball is larger and can be cleaned.

Internal is standard for large gauges (because the threaded diameter would be too large for external) and chosen specialty items such as prong settings or designs that have no ball.

Tongue and Body Gold Cleaning: 
Special considerations in the mouth.
                Foods containing salt and smoking will discolor the bar.
                There is nothing wrong with the gold.

                Take it to any jeweler to have it buffed back to original finish.
                "420" smokers will leave a black tar on the bar.
                 Body fluids can discolor gold but they can be buffed back.
Warning: 
Buyer Beware.   - gold content has been cheated.
They claim "la-de-da" factories all over the place and rent mailboxes and fax numbers.
Buyer beware.

Typical examples of scams:

The Scam:  9Kt 10Kt and 11 Kt substituted for 14Kt Gold

The Scam:  Hollow Balls and Stems. 

The Scam:  Gold Plating over brass or other metals.
---We actually caught an importer doing this for navel curves.
Test: (Hard to scrape or cut even with a razor.)

The Scam: Curves represented as a certain gauge measure less.
Test: (Check with a Micrometer, not your gauge wheel.)

The Scam: The balls are hollow.
Test: (Look inside.)

The Scam: The ball is "loaded"
Test: (Spin the ball on a table and see if it wobbles like loaded dice.
          Look at the threading inside the ball for a different color.)

The Scam: Bars are shaved and oblong, not round.
Test: (Roll a BB on a flat surface.) Look to see they are smooth.

Only buy your Gold from someone who has a reputation in the industry.