Black Septum Rings

The septum ring that reads from across the room: black PVD over 316L steel or titanium, bonded in a vacuum chamber so it stays black instead of flaking. Plain hinged segment rings, gem-set clickers, horseshoes, captives and the whole Halloween bench of bats, skulls and spiders, nearly all in the septum-standard 16G. Since 1999.

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Black Septum Ring Fit & Finish Guide

Fit: septum rings are 16G, with a 5/16 inch (8mm) or 3/8 inch (10mm) inside diameter for most people; snug sits forward and hangs best, and stretched septums take 14G. A few 18G pieces here double as nostril and cartilage hoops. Every product page lists gauge and diameter.

The finish: black comes from a PVD (physical vapor deposition) coating, a hard layer fused to the metal, or on a few titanium pieces from anodizing, which darkens the metal's own surface. Neither is paint and neither is plating. It holds for years; the hinge and the threads can show a glint of silver over a long life, and abrasive cleaners are the only thing that speeds that up. Mild soap, soft cloth, rinse after pools.

The metal underneath is what your piercing lives with. Black on 316L steel suits most people; steel holds a trace of nickel in the alloy, so if your skin argues, choose a black titanium base. The product page names the metal every time.

More ways in:

- The gold version of this page → Gold Septum Rings

- Every septum style, by size → Septum Rings & Clickers

- Flip-up-to-hide → Horseshoe Septum Rings

- Nickel-free base metal → Titanium Septum Rings

- Not pierced? → Fake Septum Rings

FAQ

A black PVD (or IP) finish: a thin, hard layer bonded to the metal in a vacuum chamber, not paint and not plating that flakes. Underneath is 316L surgical steel or titanium, the same rings as our polished ones. A few titanium pieces are anodized instead, which darkens the metal's own surface with nothing added.

Not in normal wear. PVD is far tougher than plating and holds up for years of daily use. Honest caveat: the spots that rub, like the hinge of a segment ring or the threads of a horseshoe ball, can show a glint of silver over a long life. Skip abrasive cleaners and polishing compounds and it stays black.

The finish is inert; what matters is the metal under it. Black on 316L steel suits most people, though steel holds a trace of nickel in the alloy. If your skin reacts, choose black titanium: nickel-free base, same look. Every product page names the metal.

16G is the septum standard, in 5/16 inch (8mm) or 3/8 inch (10mm) inside diameter for most people; snug sits forward and hangs best. Stretched septums take 14G. Match the numbers on the ring you wear now; every product page lists both.

No, and that is the point: black is a statement, not camouflage, and it reads sharper against skin than polished steel does. If you need to disappear for work or school, flip a horseshoe up into your nose; a black horseshoe does that trick as well as a silver one.

Warm water, a drop of mild soap, a soft cloth. Rinse after pools and salt water. No toothpaste, no jewelry polish, no ultrasonic trays with abrasive solutions; those are what dull a PVD finish, not wear.