How to upgrade your piercing jewellery: from titanium to solid gold

Upgrading your piercing jewellery from implant-grade titanium to solid gold is one of the more satisfying steps in the life of a piercing — the moment the starter piece gives way to something you actually chose. But the upgrade is only straightforward when the timing is right. Done too early, it undoes months of healing. Done at the correct time, it's a 15-minute appointment that changes how the piercing looks and feels indefinitely.

This guide covers when to upgrade, what the process involves, and how to choose a piece from the BVLA range at Platinum Point.

When can I upgrade my piercing jewellery?

Timing is the single most important factor in a successful jewellery upgrade. Changing the jewellery in an unhealed or partially healed piercing interrupts the fistula formation — the process by which the piercing channel becomes stable tissue — and frequently triggers irritation, prolonged healing, or infection.

General timelines by placement:

• Lobes: minimum 6–8 months. Lobe tissue is vascular and heals faster than cartilage, but many lobes that appear healed at 3–4 months are still in the final stages of fistula formation. Wait the full period.
• Cartilage (helix, forward helix, tragus, rook, daith, conch): minimum 12 months, ideally 18. Cartilage is avascular and heals significantly more slowly than lobe tissue. The fistula may be stable enough to tolerate a careful jewellery change at 12 months, but full maturity at 18 months is a more reliable marker.
• Septum: 6–8 months for the mucosal sweet spot tissue.

These timelines are minimums, not targets. Healing varies with immune health, aftercare consistency, sleep position, and individual biology. The correct approach is to have a piercer assess readiness before any change — not to rely on elapsed time alone.

Signs your piercing is ready to upgrade

Time is necessary but not sufficient. Before booking an upgrade appointment, check these indicators:

• No tenderness when the area around the piercing is pressed gently
• No crustiness at the entry or exit points — some clear lymph fluid residue is normal throughout healing, but visible crusting suggests active healing is still underway
• No discharge other than small amounts of clear fluid
• The tissue immediately around the piercing is the same colour and texture as the surrounding skin — no raised area, no redness, no surface irregularity
• The jewellery moves freely without resistance or discomfort

If any of these conditions aren't met, the piercing is still healing. Book a check-in appointment rather than a jewellery change, and give it more time.

What the upgrade process involves

A jewellery change appointment at Platinum Point takes approximately 15–20 minutes. The process:

1. Your piercer assesses the healing status of the piercing — confirming it's ready before proceeding.
2. The current titanium starter piece is removed. For threadless flat-backs, this involves releasing the press-fit end and unscrewing the disc from behind.
3. The new BVLA piece is fitted. For threadless pieces, the end is pressed into the post with the correct tension — too loose and it falls out; too tight and it's difficult to change in future. Your piercer sets this correctly.
4. Post length is confirmed. If the BVLA post is a different length to the starter post, your piercer checks that it sits correctly without excess movement or compression.
5. The final result is checked in a mirror.

The appointment is straightforward when the piercing is fully healed. It becomes more complex — and riskier — if the piercing is still healing, which is why the assessment step is not skipped.

Choosing your upgrade piece

Platinum Point holds New Zealand's largest BVLA inventory — the full range is viewable in The Vault at the studio. BVLA is handcrafted in Los Angeles in solid 14k and 18k gold and 950 platinum, with genuine stones set to specification. The range relevant to most upgrade clients:

• Threadless flat-back ends: The most common upgrade for lobe and cartilage piercings. Single stone ends (prong-set or bezel-set diamonds, sapphires, opals, tourmalines), cluster ends, shaped botanical ends, and decorative discs. These press-fit into the same post system as the titanium starter piece.
• Seam rings: A continuous ring with a seamless join, available in 14k and 18k yellow, white, and rose gold. Suited to healed cartilage placements and lobes where a ring aesthetic is preferred.
• Hinged segment rings and clickers: Used in daith, conch, septum, and cartilage placements. Open with a hinge for easy fitting.

Metal options: 14k yellow, white, or rose gold; 18k yellow gold; 950 platinum. Stone options include diamond, white opal, black opal, sapphire (multiple colours), tourmaline, garnet, and a range of others. Browse in-studio during your appointment, or use the Ear Builder for visual reference beforehand.

Cost of upgrading

The jewellery change appointment is $50. This covers the piercer's time for the assessment and the piece change — it is not simply an admin fee. The assessment is part of the service.

BVLA pieces start from approximately $180 for a simple gem end and increase with stone size, stone type, and piece complexity. The upgrade consultation — discussing which piece suits the placement, the composition, and the anatomy — is included in the appointment time. See the pricing page for current rates.

What if I want to change back to titanium after?

A fully healed piercing tolerates any correctly gauged implant-grade jewellery — titanium or gold, interchangeably. Some clients cycle between titanium flat-backs and BVLA pieces depending on the occasion: titanium for sport, travel, or situations where losing a fine piece is a concern; BVLA for everyday wear. This is entirely workable with a healed piercing and correctly fitting jewellery.

Upgrading multiple piercings at once

Multiple healed piercings can be upgraded in a single appointment. This is efficient — one visit to change three or four pieces rather than separate appointments — and allows the piercer to consider how the pieces sit together as a composition. If you're building a curated ear and several piercings have reached full healing, a single upgrade appointment to establish the full jewellery plan is often the most useful approach. Discuss this when you book.