Labret Jewelry - Deals and Information Together

Labret Jewelry is extremely popular these days and the choices and varieties are endless. Here we will discuss the Labret Jewelry and the different choices you have with this style of body jewelry.

The culture of the ancient Aztecs made extensive use of rings to denote social ranking and military prowess. Young boys were made to wear earrings when they entered early manhood and began taking military training. Later on, lip rings or labrets were worn as symbols of prestige and power by members of the warrior class and the nobility. The distinctive appeal peculiar to labret jewelry persists today among men and women who have something to say about themselves (prestige) and are willing to go to ends to prove their claims (power).

The most common types of labret jewelry, classified according to how the metal is formed, are studs, circular barbells and their variations, and captive beads. All of the other designs are more or less derived from those basic types.

Lip studs, much like studs for the ears consist of a shaft, on one end of which the stud is supported. Studs may variously be shaped metals or gemstones set in metals. The shaft is held in place by a metallic plate at its other end. Studs my vary in price from relatively inexpensive steel items to those made of gold or titanium. They may also be set with precious or semi-precious stones. Birthstone labret studs are extremely popular examples of these.

Circular barbells, as their name implies, are rounded labrets on both ends of which metal balls are attached. Conventionally, the metal balls touch each other to make the labret circular in form. There are variant barbells wherein the shaft of the labret is softly bent in angular shapes. In such cases, the ends of the barbells may have different shapes. Although the ball is retained, the other end may be shaped in an elongated and tapering way. Angular barbells can be a little more complicated to insert into the lip.

Captive beads are actually rounded metal shafts the two ends of which meet at the perforated sides of a bead or gemstone. The metal is firmly held within the holes in the bead. Some of the popular gemstones used for this type of jewelry are hematite and cat’s eye. Crystals are likewise often used, as are glass marbles. Naturally, the material for the bead can be any synthetic or natural stone that is also used for jewelry.

Alternatively, the beads may also be made of the same metal as the circular band. Furthermore, some jewelers are known to use hard acrylic as beads or studs for the labret ring. The more avant-garde styles feature variously colored and shaped acrylic beads and studs. Since acrylic labret jewelry are both attractive and cheap, many young people prefer them for daily use.

Inert metals like titanium, platinum and stainless steel are preferred for labret jewelry. The materials that are used for making teeth braces are ideal since they do not react with the chemicals in the saliva and do not produce possibly toxic substances that can be ingested.

Labret jewelry may also be made of higher grades of gold. In fact, 14 and 18 k gold labret rings have become a favorite among many stylish party-goers.