One of the perks of using captive rings is that they are such a versatile option and can be worn in just about any type of piercing. Some popular sites that captives can be used for include septum piercings, nostril piercings, lip piercings (including labret), eyebrow piercings, belly piercings, nipple piercings, and several piercings of the ear (orbital, helix, conch, rook, snug, tragus, anti-tragus, daith, and lobe). This type of jewelry is also worn in less common body piercings such as surface piercings, corset piercings, eyelid piercings, and any piercings of tissues inside the mouth.
Captive rings are easy to coordinate in multiple piercings and make the perfect addition to any jewelry wardrobe. Additionally, because of their closed shape and rounded edges, these rings do not easily snag on clothing, hair, or furniture, making them a popular choice for piercings which are still healing.
The design of these circular rings is something to consider when figuring out how to best accentuate your piercing. Captive jewelry is most commonly crafted from a metal ring (surgical grade stainless steel, sterling silver, gold, titanium, etc.) and a ball or bead made of either similar materials or decorated with extra flair from sparkling crystals, lightweight acrylic, or natural stone.
Captives are most commonly found in two forms: the ball, or bead, captive ring and the segment ring.
Ball/Bead Captive Rings
This style is the most popular look in captive jewelry. The ball captive ring (BCR), or captive bead ring (CBR), which is known better by its acronym “BCR” consists of two parts: the circular ring that features a small opening and the ball, bead, or decorative piece that fits snugly into that opening. That opening allows for the ring to be easily inserted into a wide variety of piercings before securing the jewelry by closing the opening when the captive piece is put in its place. Additionally, BCRs come in the standard spherical ring design or can even have dangling detail for some fun ways to express yourself.
Segment Rings
If you’re looking for a simplistic style with a streamlined structure, then the segment ring may be what’s right for you. Segment rings are very similar to BCRs, but they close with a piece (segment) that provides the illusion of a seamless ring without an opening. Generally, the materials used with this type of body jewelry are the same as with BCRs, but surgical grade stainless steel and hypo-allergenic metals are the primary materials used with segment rings.
Other options that vary slightly from the commonly found segment and bead captive rings are closure rings and dangle captive rings.
Dangle BCRs
Although this type of captive ring is still considered a bead or ball captive ring, dangle BCRs have a dangling charm or design that is either part of the closure piece itself or is a separate piece on the circular barbell. Many choose this style for piercings of the ear or nipple piercings since the dangling portion can end up getting in the way in other locations.
Closure Rings
The combination of segment rings and bead captive rings comes together to create the closure ring. Although these are usually grouped together with either the former or latter styles, this type of captive ring has endless possibilities for style thanks to the charms and designs that snap into place to cover the gap of the ring or that stay in place through tension, much like the bead or ball captives.
Now that you’ve completed our crash course in everything you need to know about captive rings, it’s time to pick out a style of your own! The best thing about BCRs is their versatility as an option for body jewelry – you can change your look as often as you’d like with a simple exchange of the dimpled ball or with a whole new captive ring.
We’d love to see what you get! Show off your new body jewelry and tag #bodycandy so we can see how awesome your style is!
Know your style but not your size? Check out our previous post on finding the right size captive ring for your piercing!
