FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

Custom Order Jewelry

CUSTOM ORDERS: Due to extremely high demand, many of the high quality manufacturers have extended order turn around times for jewelry. We have spoken to each one of these company's Production Managers about the back-order/custom order situation. This is an industry wide backlog and we apologize for any inconvenience or delays. If your jewelry is back ordered or custom ordered, these are the estimated wait times you should expect to get your jewelry. Sometimes manufacturers take longer than their estimated times. It does not really matter who you order from, online or in a piercing studio, these are the wait times you can expect from any retailer that you order these items through. Below are the approximate wait times for the following brands we sell.

• By using this site and purchasing these brands, you agree to these wait times.

• By using this site you agree to not cancel nor try to get a refund for your custom order.


Anatometal: 4-24 weeks
Industrial Strength: 4-12 weeks
Intrinsic Body: 4-12 weeks
Body Vision Los Angeles: 28-42 weeks
NeoMetal Titanium: 4-12 weeks
NeoMetal Gold: 12-18 weeks
Little 7: 4-12 weeks
Little 7 Black PVD Steel: 8-10 weeks
Body Circle: 6-18 weeks
Glasswear Studios: 4-12 weeks
Tether Jewelry: 3-4 weeks
Tether Jewelry Gold Ends: 6-10 weeks
LeRoi: 4-12 weeks
Gorilla Glass: 4-8 weeks
Kaos: 8-12 weeks
Body Gems: 4-8 weeks
Modern Mood: 12-16 weeks
Mushroom Body Jewelry: 2-8 weeks
Kiwi Diamond: 8-18 weeks
Zadamer Jewelry: 16-20 weeks

Custom order items will be ordered from the manufacturer or artisans once your payment is accepted. We custom order jewelry from NeoMetal, Industrial Strength, Anatometal, LeRoi, Intrinsic Body, Glass Heart, GlassWear Studios and many more.

THERE ARE NO REFUNDS FOR CUSTOM ORDERS! Once your item is custom ordered, the process is started and cannot be reversed. So be sure you know what you want before placing a custom order. Do not contact us every week looking for your custom order. This is only a waste of our time and the manufacturers time. If the estimated wait times above are exceeded and you have not received your order by then, please feel free to contact us using the email address info@diablobodyjewelry.com about your order. We apologize if these policies seem strict, but this is the reality of the situation and the wait times. If you are looking for instant gratification, then this is not the website for you. Custom jewelry is not sitting on shelf, waiting for someone to buy it. It has to be made.

BACK ORDERS: If we don't have the jewelry in stock, we will send you and email letting you know that the item you ordered has been back ordered. This means we sold the last one and there is not other one at any of our studios. When you receive notice that your item has been back order, you may then choose to cancel the order or continue with the order. If you cancel the order, you will receive a full refund. If you continue with the order and accept the back order, the order will then be treated like a custom order at that time.

When you purchase a custom piece, we order directly from the manufacturer and ship to you as soon as we receive it. Sometimes we get the jewelry in very quickly; however, there are possible delays with the manufacturers.

We will send an email with estimated ship times.
Please contact us at info@diablobodyjewelry.com if you have questions, concerns or want to check the status of your order.
Before your order ships, cancelling the order or changing the order is possible within 14 days of your order being placed. Just let us know what we can do for you!

We strive to have satisfied customers. When we place custom orders from the manufacturers/ artisians the time frame is often out of our control. Sometimes we receive orders within 2 to 3 weeks, but lately it can take much longer.

I'm having a problem checking out. What should I do?

Due to recent changes in security standards for online retailers, we ask that you make sure your browser is up to date to the latest version. Using the latest version of your browser minimizes the appearance of other glitches and also helps protects you from the latest security threats.

I have a ______ piercing, how do I know what size I need?

Because anatomy and piercings can vary widely, there is not a standard size for each piercing. If you are unsure of what size you need, going to your piercer and checking with them is your best bet.

I have a specific question, whats the best way to contact Diablo Body Jewelry?

You can send a message through our Contact Us form or email us at info@diablobodyjewelry.com. Our shipping address is PO Box 150786, Austin TX 78715.

How much do you charge for shipping and what shipping services do you use?

For domestic orders, we ship all packages at this time through the U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and orders over $500 are shipped through UPS with a signature requirement upon arrival. This is to prevent theft of packages, protecting our clients and our business. All international shipments will be shipped through DHL Express Worldwide and will require a signature upon delivery.

If you are trying to estimate when a package will be delivered, please note the following: Credit card authorization and verification must be received prior to processing. Checks and Money Orders must clear before we ship any item. USPS deliveries occur Monday through Saturday, excluding holidays.

All domestic packages can be tracked through USPS Tracking.
International packages can be tracked at DHL Tracking

Shipping Prices are as follows:

$5.35 USPS First Class mail with Tracking - Estimated delivery time 5-7 days

$9.90 USPS Priority mail with Tracking - Estimated delivery time is 3-7 days

$39.95 USPS Priority to Canada with Tracking (Includes $9.95 Pre-payment for Canada Import Duties) - Estimated delivery time 3-7 days

$45.00 USPS International Priority with Tracking - Estimated delivery time 3-4 days

I received my item and I don't like it, I ordered the wrong size, etc. Do you accept returns?

Please note: Custom order and Anodized items cannot be returned. So please be sure of what you want, before you order it. If you are unsure of length, gauge or diameter, please send us an email or refer to our jewelry sizing chart, courtesy of Body Circle Designs. Every item that is shipped in your order will be sealed. If you want to return an item because you are dissatisfied with it, you are more than welcome to do so as long as the items seal is not broken, and the jewelry was not custom anodized or custom ordered for you. The reason we cannot accept a unsealed item is that the item in now considered used and/or possibly has been worn. This is for your protection as we do not re-sell used jewelry. When you buy from Diablo Body Jewelry, you are guaranteed not to get a used item or previously worn item. We do not refund shipping cost or the optional sterilization fee.

Again. There are absolutely no returns for anodized Titanium or Niobium Jewelry. All anodized jewelry is considered custom ordered. Be sure you know what you want before you order anodized jewelry.

ATTENTION!!! We cannot accept returns if they are sent to us in a regular envelope. The mail sorters often snag on the jewelry and the jewelry is either ripped out of the envelope or damaged. Please send them back in a bubble mailer, just like we sent them to you in. Returns send in normal envelopes will be refused.

Please send sealed returns to:

Diablo Body Jewelry
P.O. Box 150786
Austin, Texas 78715
USA

Availability of In-Stock Jewelry

Every once in a while an in-stock piece may actually be out of stock. This happens when someone purchases an item either from the website or from one of our shops before the site is updated. When this happens we will notify you to see if we can order it for you or if you would prefer a refund.

Jewelry Materials

ASTM F-138 certified implant grade stainless steel.

We only use this type of 316LVM steel. Please read the section below to know the difference between us an other body jewelry sellers.

Surgical Steel vs. Stainless Steel

Key Differences

While surgical steel is a type of stainless steel, all stainless steels are not surgical steels. Surgical steels are those with the greatest amount of corrosion resistance and are designated for biomedical applications. When compared to other steel types, stainless steel is typically the most expensive. Then, among stainless steel, surgical steel is the most expensive.

Uses

Because of material expense, stainless steels are different from “general use” steels, like carbon steel and tool steel. Most often, stainless steels are used in culinary applications. Cutlery, cookware, appliances, and kitchen fixtures made of stainless steel are very popular and sought after. Stainless steel is also used for various components within the automotive and aerospace industries and in some construction applications.

Surgical steel’s uses are relegated to biomedical applications. Surgical instruments like forceps, retractors, and needle holders are made from surgical steel, but that’s not all. Surgical steel has a long history of use in orthopedic and dental implant devices.

We only use 316LVM Surgical Steel. Many other lower quality jewelry companies use 316L Stainless Steel and tell you it is surgical steel. It simply is not. Only 316LVM is Surgical Steel.

ASTM F-136 certified implant grade titanium

Titanium body jewelry is often manufactured in either commercially pure grades 1 to 4, grade 5 TI6AL4V alloy or grade 23 Ti6AL4V ELI alloy.

The only quality recommended for use by the Association of Professional Piercers is Titanium that is certified to meet ASTM or ISO standards for surgical implant applications. "Look for implant certified titanium (Ti6Al4V ELI) that is ASTM F136[3] compliant or ISO 5832-3[4] compliant, or commercially pure titanium that is ASTM F67[5] compliant."

Pure and alloyed qualities have long been used for both piercings and surgical implants, and very few long-term allergies and other complications have been reported, though as with any material they could arise after prolonged contact with the human body. Ti6Al4V ELI alloy contains aluminum and vanadium.

When the EU Nickel Directive came into force - high nickel bearing alloys were restricted from use in primary (new) piercings. Because of its virtually 'Nickel Free' content Titanium has become one of the preferred materials used in piercing jewelry within the borders of the EU.

Titanium jewelry is lightweight (around 60% the weight of stainless steel given the same volume), it is highly corrosion resistant and less likely to react with body fluids, is not magnetic, it can be anodized to create a layer of colored oxide on the surface. Titanium Jewelry can be color anodized. Common colors are yellow, blue, purple, green, and rainbow.

Titanium can be sterilized in an autoclave.

7Nb Titanium

The new alloy was introduced in 1985 following six years of intensive development and testing. Ti-6Al-7Nb ASTM 1295 has been in clinical use since early 1986.

The mechanical properties of Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy are very similar to Ti-6Al-4V alloy which has been used as a biomaterial for many years. The major difference between the alloys is the replacement of the VANADIUM by the highly biocompatible NIOBIUM. The Ti-6Al-7Nb composition is in agreement with the principle of utilizing only non-toxic elements of implants devices as outlined in the U.S Patent 4,040,129 assigned to Institute Straumann Waldenburg, Switzerland.

Niobium was discovered while chemist C. Hatchett was analyzing a black stone near Connecticut in 1801. The element was originally named columbium and was assigned atomic number 41 in the periodic table. Columbium was later renamed niobium which derived from Niobe, the Goddess of Tears in Greek mythology. The word niobium was preferred in Europe while the word columbium continued to be used in the United States.

Various niobium compounds are extracted from ore concentrates by chlorination process followed by metallic reduction to niobium metal. The metal is then purified by electron beam melting into ingots. The ingots are alloyed with specific metals and further refined in vacuum consumable arc melting furnace to produce an intermediate raw material known as niobium master alloy.

The niobium master alloy is blended with pure titanium in the correct proportion and a cylindrical electrode is formed for melting under high vacuum. Ti-6Al-7Nb alloy is double or triple vacuum arc melted to provide an ingot composition that is very uniform and homogeneous. The ingot is hot pressed, hot rolled, and finished into round and flat bar products using conventional titanium alloy processing methods.

Niobium

Niobium is a metal resembling titanium, but it is softer and heavier. When using niobium in a piercing jewelry it has to be as pure as possible, the threshold value being 99.9% niobium. This is sometimes called "999 Niobium". Impurities in low quality material can lead to allergies.

Pure niobium doesn't react to body fluids, oxygen or cleaning agents. It can safely be autoclaved. It is allowed in healing piercings by the EU nickel law.

Niobium can be heat treated to obtain a permanently dim black surface. The selection of niobium jewelry is much smaller than that of titanium and other common metals, mainly because niobium jewelry is more expensive and more difficult to produce.

14kt & 18kt Gold

Gold is a noble metal with a long tradition for use in jewelry.

When using gold for piercings, a lower purity than 14 or 18 carat (58 to 75%) is not recommended.

Gold is about as soft as lead and is easily scratched. These scratches can irritate the body, especially in new piercings. Tongue jewelry made from gold is not recommended as chewing on the beads is common. To avoid the irritation of damaged jewelry from such scratches and flaws, gold colored titanium jewelry is a safer substitute.

Piercing jewelry is often made of a gold alloy, the most common being 18k, with 24k being entirely pure and much softer. 18k gold usually contains 75% gold and the remaining 25% copper, silver and traces of other metals. In lower quality gold, zinc, nickel and other irritants can also be found.

As said, gold jewelry should only be used in healing piercings if it is nickel free or palladium based. Allergy to gold is uncommon but it does exist, and then mostly from white gold.[9][10] In some extreme cases, the copper in the jewelry can tarnish and cause greenish discoloring of the tissue.

Gold can become discolored from autoclaving.

Titanium and Niobium Anodization

Anodization (color) on Titanium and Niobium is a very thin layer of Titanium Oxide or Niobium that is created on the surface of the jewelry when the jewelry is "anodized" in solution and the an electrical current is run through the jewelry. The color is dependent on the voltage and the voltage determines the thickness of the Titanium Oxide and thus the color. Every color has its own thickness of Titanium Oxide or Niobium Oxide. Thus some colors don't last long at all and others will last longer. Titanium being a metal, can be polished and the thus the color can be polished off, either by a buffing wheel within seconds or even by human skin over time. Therefore the color will only last as long as the color is not polished off. If you polish even a little bit of the Titanium Oxide or Niobium Oxide, it will reflect another color that is lower down the Anodization Scale based on the thickness of the the Oxide. I apologize if this answer is technical, but it is really the only way to answer this question.

Split Orders

If you order both stock and custom order jewelry, we can ship your stock items now and the custom orders when we get them in.

How do I care for my organic jewelry?

Horn and Bone- Your jewelry should be washed prior to wearing using mild soap and warm water. Horn and Bone is susceptible to water damage so make sure to dry it quickly and do not let your jewelry soak in water. This includes wearing while in the shower, in a pool or any other body of water. Oiling your jewelry weekly can prolong its life, it will help the material from cracking. Coconut oil and Jajoba oil are good choices. Avoid storing your bone and horn in direct sunlight, in the bathroom or in any place where there are extreme temperatures.

Amber- Amber is a softer material so it is scratched and warped easily. It is also very sensitive to heat and harsh chemicals. Only clean with a very mild soap and warm water. Do not wear in hot tubs and saunas.

Wood- Wood jewelry should also be periodically oiled. Coconut oil and Jojoba oil are good choices. Wood can be damaged by too much water, so make sure to dry quickly after cleaning it and avoid wearing it during a shower or while in a pool. Just like most organic jewelry, avoid storing in extreme temperatures and conditions like in direct sunlight or in the bathroom.

Stone- Stone is fragile, be very careful as dropping it can cause it to break or chip! Mild soap and water is ideal to clean any stone jewelry.

Mammoth Ivory- This material is very fragile so be careful as dropping the jewelry can cause it to chip or break. Soaking in water will damage this materials so dry quickly after washing and avoid wearing them in the shower or when swimming. Store out of the sunlight and not in the bathroom!

Can you sterilize the jewelry for me?

Most of the jewelry that we sell can be sterilized, and we offer this service for $4.99. As a general rule organic body jewelry cannot be sterilized, with the exception of stone jewelry. If in doubt, check the item page to make sure that we offer it for the item you want sterilized before buying it.

How do you sterilize the jewelry?

We use individual sterilization packs with an indicator inside the package (so you can see that it has been sterilized). We process them in a Scicam Statim 2000 autoclave which we spore test monthly.

Can I pick my jewelry up in Austin rather than having it delivered?

No, we only ship. We do not offer local pick up. You are getting these discounted prices because you are ordering through the website. All jewelry at the Diablo Rojo Piercing Studios are full retail and not available at the diablobodyjewelry.com website prices.

What are the different nostril screw bend options and what do they mean?

Straight (Unbent) Nostril Screws come with the post straight. Most people will take these to their local piercer and have them bend it specifically to fit their nostril.

Right Bend Nostril Screws are pre-bent to fit most nostril piercings on the right nostril, and Left Bend Nostril Screws are pre-bent to fit most piercings done on the left nostril.

Nose Bones are short straight posts that have a ball on the inside end. These are only good for absolutely healed piercings, if your piercing is unhealed your nose will heal around the smaller post and make it difficult and painful to remove.

Nostril Nails are C shaped, making them look like you are wearing a cross between a hoop and nostril screw in your piercing but they are much easier to change than traditional hoops. Nostril nails can also be worn with the opening space on the outside of the nostril for a unique look.

What does the order status mean?

Processing: This means that we are currently reviewing your order and getting it ready for shipment or for custom ordering.

Pending: This means that their was an issue with your payment method, often a paypal echeck will show a status of pending until the payment has cleared.

Shipped: This means that a shipping label with tracking information was printed for your package.

Custom Ordered: This is reserved for jewelry that is custom order only and indicates that your jewelry has been ordered from the manufacturer/ artisian.

Cancelled: Your payment has been refunded and the order has been cancelled.

Shipped Incomplete: This means that your order has been partially shipped. This is often when custom order items were ordered with in stock items, or when in stock items were ordered with backordered items.

Back Ordered: This is when we did not have your specific piece of jewelry in stock. Backorders are usually shipped within 7-15 business days. As stated above in the custom order section at beginning of the FAQ, it may take up to 4-8 weeks depending on the manufacturer. Please contact us if you would like to cancel your backorder.

Returned: We have received your return and are processing your exchange or refunding your account.

Exchanged: Your exchange is on its way.


Please Contact Us if you have any questions!