The Different Types of Nipple Jewellery

Nipple piercings are most often worn with a straight barbell — a nipple bar — a straight post with an end on each side that sits across the piercing. A ball closure ring (BCR) fits too, giving a hoop rather than a bar. Most of the choice is in the bar — how the ends attach, the end styles, and whether it carries jewels or a dangle — so the main types are the internally threaded bar, the threadless bar, decorative bars, and the ball closure ring.

The standard nipple gauge is 14g (1.6mm) — a sturdier gauge than facial piercings. Always check the gauge of a new bar against what you wear, because a bar that is too thin will move around and one that is too thick will not fit.

What is an internally threaded nipple bar?

An internally threaded bar has a threaded hole at each end, and the ends screw into the bar, so the post that passes through the piercing is completely smooth and only the ends come off. It is secure and easy to re-end, and it is the most common fitting in our range. The ends come as plain balls, cones or bone ends (a small bar-shaped end), in silver, gold and black titanium.

What is a threadless nipple bar?

A threadless bar has no screw thread — the decorative end has a pin that pushes into a hollow post and is held by tension. There is nothing to screw, so it is quick to change. Our threadless nipple bars include plain, jewelled and shaped designs, and they fit the same piercing as a threaded bar at the same gauge.

What end styles are there?

The ends are where the choice opens up. The plainest are a ball on each side, or a cone, or a bone end. Beyond that, our nipple bars come with jewelled ends — CZ stones, opal clusters and shaped designs such as a sword — on a threaded or threadless bar. Because the ends drive the whole look, you can keep one bar and change its ends rather than buying several.

What is a dangle nipple bar?

A dangle bar adds a small hanging charm or chain below the bar, so the jewellery drops rather than sitting flat. We stock single- and double-chain dangle nipple bars in silver and gold. They are a statement piece rather than an everyday bar, worn when you want the jewellery to show and move.

What is a ball closure ring (BCR)?

A ball closure ring is a hoop held shut by a single ball that clips between the two ends under tension, worn through the piercing as a ring instead of a bar. It gives a bolder, more visible look than a barbell sitting flat across the piercing. Ours are ASTM F136 titanium in a 14g (1.6mm) size that suits a nipple, in silver and black, with 8mm and 10mm diameters.

Threaded or threadless — which should I pick?

Both are common and both fit the same piercing at the same gauge. An internally threaded bar holds very securely and lets you keep one bar and swap its ends, which is handy if you like changing the look. A threadless bar is quicker to change because there is no thread to line up — the end simply pulls out and pushes back in. Neither is better; it comes down to whether you value the hold of a thread or the speed of a push-fit.

What length do I need?

A nipple bar is measured by its length — the distance between the ends — and the right length sits across the piercing without pinching or hanging loose. Nipple piercings vary from person to person, so the reliable approach is to measure the bar you already wear and match it. Changing only the ends or the style while keeping the same gauge and length is the safest swap.

Which material should a nipple bar be?

All our nipple bars are ASTM F136 titanium — implant-grade, hypoallergenic and suited to sensitive skin. It is light and strong, which suits a placement where the jewellery is worn under clothing and knocked about through the day. It comes in silver, gold and black finishes.

How do I choose a nipple bar?

Match the gauge first — 14g is standard — and the length against what you currently wear. Then pick the shape: a bar for the discreet, flat look, or a ball closure ring if you want a hoop. For a bar, choose the fitting — internally threaded for a secure bar you can re-end, or threadless for the quickest change — and the ends, from plain balls, cones or bone ends to jewelled ends or a dangle when you want it to show.

See the range in our nipple jewellery collection, or the ball closure rings for a 14g hoop.