Almost every titanium body jewelry listing says "implant grade", "G23" or "ASTM F136", and often all three. They are not interchangeable claims. This guide explains what each one means, why the difference matters for jewelry worn in a healing piercing, and what a studio can reasonably ask a supplier to back it up.
The short version
- Ti-6Al-4V ELI is the alloy: titanium with about 6% aluminum and 4% vanadium, made to an "extra low interstitial" limit on oxygen, nitrogen, carbon and iron.
- Grade 23 is the name for that alloy in the general industrial titanium standards. It describes the chemistry, not the intended use.
- ASTM F136 is the surgical implant standard for the same alloy. It adds requirements on microstructure, mechanical properties and lot testing that exist because the material is meant to live inside the body.
So a piece can be genuine Grade 23 without meeting F136. It cannot meet F136 without being Grade 23 chemistry. When a listing says "G23" alone, the supplier is telling you the alloy family, not that the material was produced and certified as implant stock.
What "implant grade" is supposed to mean
Implant grade is not a regulated term for jewelry. In the piercing industry it has come to mean material that meets one of the ASTM or ISO standards written for surgical implants. For titanium, the standards you will see are:
| Standard | Material | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| ASTM F136 | Ti-6Al-4V ELI (Grade 23) | The most common implant titanium for body jewelry. Strong, polishes well, holds fine threads. |
| ASTM F67 | Commercially pure titanium (Grades 1 to 4) | No aluminum or vanadium. Softer, so less common for threaded jewelry. |
| ASTM F1295 | Ti-6Al-7Nb | Niobium replaces vanadium. Used by some manufacturers; less available. |
| ISO 5832-3 | Ti-6Al-4V | The ISO counterpart to F136, common with European mills. |
The Association of Professional Piercers' jewelry standards for initial piercings list these implant specifications by name. That is the reason studios ask for the standard rather than the grade: the standard is what the guidance is written against.
Why the standard matters more than the chemistry
The alloy chemistry is the same either way, so why care? Three reasons.
- Traceability. F136 material is produced in tracked lots, and each lot is tested and documented at the mill. Industrial Grade 23 bar may or may not be, depending on the mill and the buyer. A supplier who says their titanium is F136 should be able to show test documentation for the material, whether that is the mill's own certificate or an independent test of the finished stock.
- Consistency. The implant standard sets limits on the microstructure and mechanical properties of the finished stock. That is what makes one batch behave like the last one when it is machined, threaded and polished.
- Accountability. If a studio is ever asked to show what their jewelry is made of, a test report against a named standard is an answer. "G23" on a website is not.
How to verify what you are buying
You cannot tell F136 from Grade 23 by looking at a piece, and you cannot tell either from a well-made stainless or low-grade titanium imitation without lab testing. What you can do is hold the supplier to a paper trail.
- Ask which standard, by number. "Implant grade" and "medical grade" are marketing. "ASTM F136" or "ISO 5832-3" is a claim that can be checked.
- Ask for test documentation. The strongest form is a mill test report: it lists the heat or lot number, the specification the material was produced to, the measured chemistry and the mechanical results, and it comes from the mill rather than being a typed statement from a reseller. The next best is an independent laboratory test of the finished jewelry against the F136 composition, which is what most resellers can realistically provide. Either one is far better than a grade name on a website.
- Ask how the document connects to the jewelry. For a mill certificate, that is a lot or batch reference carried through production. For a lab test, it is the date and the product range tested. A document with no way to tie it to the pieces on your bench is a weak claim.
- Ask what else is in the finished piece. Gems, adhesives, PVD coatings and solder are separate questions. F136 covers the titanium only.
We publish our material test results on the material testing page, so studios can read them before they order.
Where confusion usually comes from
- "G23" used as shorthand. Some reputable manufacturers say G23 when their stock is fully F136 material. Others say G23 precisely because it is not. The label alone will not tell you which; the test documentation will.
- "Titanium" with no grade. Grade 5 (Ti-6Al-4V without the ELI limits) and Grade 2 commercially pure are common in fashion jewelry. They are titanium, but not to an implant specification.
- "Surgical steel" and "hypoallergenic". Neither is a standard. For steel the implant specification is ASTM F138, and even certified steel contains nickel, which is why most studios have moved initial piercings to titanium.
- Anodized colours and PVD gold. Both can be applied over F136 titanium. The colour is not a sign of lower grade, but it is also not proof of the base material. Ask separately.
A stocking checklist
- Every item intended for initial piercings is made to a named implant standard: ASTM F136, F67, F1295 or ISO 5832-3 for titanium.
- The supplier can show test documentation for the material: a mill certificate or an independent lab test against the standard.
- Gem settings, coatings and finishes are described separately from the base material.
- Surface finish is polished smooth, with no tooling marks, especially on the section that passes through tissue.
- The connection type suits the placement. See our guide to threadless versus threaded jewelry.
What West Coast Body Jewelry stocks
All of our jewelry is ASTM F136 titanium, including the pieces with PVD gold finishes and anodized colour. The full catalog ships from Squamish, BC, with optional pouching and sterilization. Wholesale pricing is available to approved piercing studios. Apply for a wholesale account to see pricing and place an order.
Part of our wholesale titanium body jewelry guide for piercing studios.