No pics ATM, and I'm heading out, but maybe tomorrow.

You can reassure her that gold is fairly high ranking on the noble scale and so is not going to get messed up by the chemicals she uses. Of course, if her ring is copper, then that is is very reactive, so it is wise not to wear it while working.

My mom always said that she was allergic to gold -like Sophia Loren.

Thank you for that link rfndong!

I served in the USN. I think the gay rumors started because of the cracker jack uniforms. I can tell you the only gay man I ever met in the Navy was in basic training and he got booted out.

There were a lot of gay women though.

Is white gold really gold?

white gold is gold mixed with nickel

My dad had both his ears pierced when he was three or four years old -- it was the done thing for wealthy boys in India.

most people are not allergic to gold, but rather to the alloys added to make it suitable for jewelry; could be nickle, but can be other metals, like palladium.

And Pie--that is very interesting. Very! If you have any more information about that custom, I'd love to have it. Oddly, among the most visited pages on my blog is a post about Indian nose piercing. Can't figure out why, exactly. Are these Indian people visiting my blog looking for solid info, or what? Wish I knew more about that. More research!

Got my ear done in high school. I had almost forgotten about it. After not wearing an earring for all these years, (going on 40) the hole is still there. I still have my old earrings. Maybe I'll wear one to work one day just to freak my cow orkers out.

I voted for my husband.

He had his ears pierced some 5 years ago. He occasionally wears hoops in them, when he can find the earrings.

As far as wedding bands...mine is a very simple gold ring with nothing on it. I use to have a ring with an aquamarine and the stone fell out of the setting. Since then, I have worn the gold band. I like it because it is simple and doesn't get caught on stuff. I don't have to worry about losing a stone, either. He has a titanium band. He needs the durability. Every piece of jewelry he has owned gets roughed up, too much to last.

Here you go.

The hole in my right ear. You can see the tiny hole left from my previously 10-guage loops. This one used to be 0 guage.
http://img231.imageshack.us/img231/4963/hole.th.jpg

With a bic pen ink insert. Not sure what guage that is, but I figure everyone has a bic pen and can look at the ink part for comparison. Interestingly, a full bic pen used to fit through there.

http://img523.imageshack.us/img523/8251/hole2.th.jpg

I haven't had any jewelry in any of my piercings for at least four years now.

what was the "some other answer"?

Stress Puppy; you could probably buy a flesh-colored plug to make the hole less noticeable, if you wanted

Thanks Stress... much less noticeable than I would have though.

I have a single piercing...left earlobe. For the past several years, I have worn only a simple small gold hoop, but I used to wear different stuff in it, mostly wires. My favorite piece is a tiny hunk of nickel iron meteorite dangling on a tiny piece of chain on a stud.

Nothing stuck in my body. I figure it is like anything natural ... sticking big metal spikes into it does not add to the beauty of it. IMHO, YMMV etc.

Also, check with an acupuncturist for advice on places they would never pierce: earlobe, eyebrow, nose, nostril, lip, tongue, nipple, navel, genitals... pretty much everywhere that is currently done for fashion. (Not saying that I "believe" in acupuncture, but this is a fun way to stir-up new-age bodymodders!)