The noble art of body piercing and body jewellery has been a trait of mans biblical times and in some cases before. While piercing is a form of body modification some people practice piercing for religious or other cultural reasons while many individuals particularly in the modern West choose to have the body pierced for spiritual ornamental or even sexual reasons.

Evidence exists of body piercing as being in existence from ancient times and mummified bodies with piercing have been discovered.

Since biblical times there has been constant reference to body jewellery with references in the book of Genesis state quite clearly that Abraham's servant gave an earring and bracelets to Rebecca wife of Abraham's son Isaac. There are additional references the book of Exodus and also Deuteronomy.

A wide range of ancient cultures incorporated some form of body jewellery in their rituals, and this enthusiasm for body jewellery has continued into modern times. In the past, jewellery was used to distinguish between different classes in society. Nowadays, body jewellery is simply a fashion trend, followed by those who want to make a statement to the world.

Though body jewellery and piercing has been in existence for centuries there is no doubt that both body modification and piercing is returning to the mainstream in modern Western culture

You can wear body jewellery anywhere on the body that you like, but there are some sites that are the most common, including:

-Naval

-Tongue

-Eyebrow

-Nose

-Nipples

-Genital

Some body jewellery is designed for a specific location on the body, but then there's nothing to stop you taking something like an ear ball, for example, and hanging it from your eyebrow piercing.

It's also possible to buy coordinating body jewellery designs. This means that your ear, eyebrow and tongue can all have matching pieces of jewellery. This is a great way to make a fashion statement that is harmonious, and can be a great way to coordinate your jewellery with your clothing.

The thing is with piercing and body jewellery is that the after the initial piercing, the bulky will be sore, tender or red for several days or up to several weeks. It is vitally important that the initial healing process is allowed to complete naturally. Likewise it also makes sense to make sure that you are very careful about the jewellery that you use. There is nothing cool or trendy with infected skin.

When you get pierced, it's important to choose a reputable operator who only uses sterilized equipment. Make sure you wear something like a gold stud initially, while the piercing site heals, and avoid changing the jewellery until the healing process is complete. Never use cheap metals in your piercing while it's still healing, because you will increase your risk of infection enormously.

Many local jewellers stock body jewellery, but you may find a better range by shopping online. Make sure the metals used are of good quality, and check to make sure the delivery fees are reasonable. This is a great way to access a wide range of cool body jewellery without having to scour endless shops. So make your own personal statement with body jewellery, and be the envy of all your friends.