by Heather M Davis

Created on: February 18, 2009

Organic body jewelry -wood, bone, horn, stone, amber- are often worn in stretched piercings, such as the ears, labret, or nose. They are generally considered healthier for the healed piercings, as the porous and somewhat rough texture encourages thicker skinned, less smelly piercings, and allows the skin to breathe. The downside to organic body jewelry is that it is somewhat higher maintenance.

Many organic jewelry materials are more fragile than their forged, machined, metal and acrylic counterparts. They are affected by moisture, can often shatter or crack when dropped, are extremely heat sensitive-they can warp, crack, or weaken with exposure to high temperatures, and they are vulnerable to chemicals. Most of these problems are easily avoided though, and well cared for organic jewelry can be both beautiful and healthy.

*Keep it clean. Wash your jewelry with a mild, non-chemical soap and warm water. The soap should be available at most stores, given that organic and all natural products are becoming more common. All organic items are non-sterile, they cannot be put through an autoclave. Any jewelry you own should be washed regularly (even if it's just sitting in your jewelry box) to keep it clean.

*Oil your jewelry. Jojoba, mineral, vitamin e, emu, olive, or tea tree oil are all good for oiling your jewelry, keeping it in good condition. In time, this, combined with natural skin oils, may cause your jewelry to darken slightly.

*Don't expose your jewelry to sudden heat or moisture changes. I'm not saying your jewelry can't be worn in the winter and the summer, but wearing wood into the hot tub or shower, or leaving your stone plugs in your glove box in the winter, is very bad for your jewelry. It can cause cracking, warping, and swelling in the jewelry.

*Keep your jewelry away from chemicals! Cleaning products, shampoo, hairspray...Since most natural jewelry materials are porous, they will absorb them. The chemicals themselves can damage the jewelry, weakening it or changing it's color. Once absorbed, the chemicals may leak into your body while you wear the jewelry, causing various reactions, from allergy to mild chemical burn.

*Don't leave your jewelry sitting in direct sunlight. Long exposure to sunlight may fade the colors on jewelry, or in the case of amber, particularly UV sensitive, it can crack, soften, lose it's shine, or even burn.

*Don't drop or bite your jewelry. Sounds pretty basic, right? A lot of organic jewelry, especially stone, can be very brittle, and hitting it, biting it, or dropping it, will usually crack or shatter your jewelry.

A special note about wood:
Wood may need to be sanded regularly, as it comes into contact with any kind of moisture, it will swell, then dry out and shrink again, leaving it a bit rough. Lightly sand your jewelry until you can run a fingernail across the grain without feeling it, then wash them in warm water and chemical-free soap, oil them, and they're ready to go again!

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