Material Certification
Not all "surgical steel" is implant-grade, and not all titanium meets ASTM F136. The certification layer is the only protection between a client's body and sub-standard material.
Material Certification CheckerUpdated · V2
Read jewellery material certificates and know what to ask your supplier.
- Certificate reader and claim matrix
- Supplier question sheet generator
- Studio records kept on your device
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Open Material Certification Checker →Nickel Release CalculatorUpdated · V2
Check body jewellery against EN 1811 and REACH nickel limits, and decode supplier labels.
- EN 1811 and REACH limits explained
- Global regulations comparison
- Studio jewellery file and supplier request
8 languages · EN FR IT DE ES NL PT TH
Open Nickel Release Calculator →Allergy Patch Test GuideUpdated · V2
Plan a 96-hour patch test for a jewellery metal or tattoo ink and read the results correctly.
- 96-hour schedule and reading guide
- Method and clinical limits explained
- Share card
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Open Allergy Patch Test Guide →See also: Material Safety -- Deep Dive Guide Full-length pillar guide: 5-part deep dive into certification standards, nickel content vs release, REACH/SVHC regulation, MRI safety, and allergy testing -- with professional FAQs and key takeaways.
Regulatory Compliance
EU regulation is tightening around tattoo inks and body jewellery materials. Tools that screen against the actual regulatory lists, REACH SVHC and EU 2020/2081, turn compliance from a paperwork headache into a 30-second check.
REACH SVHC Pigment CheckerUpdated · V2
Screen ink and jewellery ingredients against the ECHA SVHC Candidate List.
- Paste an SDS block or search a substance
- Screening register with CSV export
- Supplier inquiry letter generator
8 languages · EN FR IT DE ES NL PT TH
Open REACH SVHC Pigment Checker →Ink Ingredient DecoderUpdated · V2
Paste an ink label or SDS and check it against EU tattoo ink rules (REACH entry 75).
- CAS and CI number decoder
- Global regulations and alternatives matrix
- Shelf life and PAO expiry tracker
8 languages · EN FR IT DE ES NL PT TH
Open Ink Ingredient Decoder →Clinical Safety
Body jewellery enters a clinical environment the moment a client needs an MRI, and the radiographer's default answer, "remove it," is not always correct or possible.
Frequently Asked Questions
What certifications should I look for when buying body jewellery?
For metal body jewellery, the minimum acceptable certifications are ASTM F136 for titanium (confirming implant-grade alloy composition and absence of nickel) and ASTM F138 or ISO 5832-1 for implant-grade stainless steel. For polymer jewellery, look for ISO 10993-6 biocompatibility certification (tissue contact testing) and, for EU sales, a Declaration of Conformity under the relevant regulation. For all materials, request the mill certificate or material test report. A supplier who cannot produce one is selling uncertified material regardless of what the packaging says.
Can I have an MRI with a piercing in?
It depends entirely on the material. MR Safe materials such as BioFlex medical-grade polymer and PTFE can stay in place with no qualification needed. MR Conditional materials like implant-grade titanium (ASTM F136) are generally accepted by radiographers at field strengths of 3T or below, though the final decision belongs to the scanning facility. MR Unsafe materials such as ferromagnetic steel, magnetic clasps, silver, and unknown-grade "surgical steel" must be removed before entering the MRI suite. The risk is not just image artifact: ferromagnetic objects experience significant force displacement in a high-field magnet, and conducting loops can cause RF heating and burns. The MRI Safety Checker on this page classifies your specific material under ASTM F2503 so you can have that conversation with the radiographer using the correct clinical terminology.
What is the difference between nickel content and nickel release rate?
Nickel content is the percentage of nickel by mass in the alloy: 316LVM implant-grade steel contains 10 to 14% nickel. Nickel release rate, measured under EN 1811, is how much of that nickel actually leaches from the surface into simulated sweat over one week, expressed in ug/cm2/week. The difference is the passivation layer: a stable chromium oxide film on the surface of implant-grade steel acts as a barrier that prevents nickel ions from migrating into tissue. 316LVM typically releases only 0.05 to 0.12 ug/cm2/week despite its high nickel content, well below the 0.2 ug/cm2/week EU limit for piercing jewellery. Nickel silver, by contrast, releases 3 to 6 ug/cm2/week despite similar nickel content, because it forms no effective protective oxide. The Nickel Release Calculator on this page models these release rates so you know which materials are actually safe regardless of their composition on paper.