Another scented candle? More reindeer socks? Come on. Want to make someone genuinely happy this Christmas, or on Sinterklaas (the Dutch gift-giving evening on 5 December)? Give them a piercing gift voucher. You can’t go wrong, and you’re pretty much guaranteed a happy little squeal. Set on wrapping up jewellery instead? That works too, if you know a few things first. Think of it as gift-wrapping, but with fewer ways to get it wrong.
Black Friday gift card: €150 credit for €99
Sorted: from 10 October to 1 December 2026 you pay €99 and get €150 credit, so €51 extra. It is valid for two years, not personalised (so you can simply give it away) and redeemable for tattoos, piercings and jewellery at our studio at Reguliersbreestraat 46. Not valid in the webshop. The voucher can only be bought online and is sent by post; the only thing you receive by email is the tracking number. Only 100 are available, while stocks last.
Get the Black Friday gift card →
With a gift voucher, you can’t go wrong
A piercing is personal. Which spot, which piece, which size: that’s something people love to choose themselves, ideally with a mirror and a friend nearby. A voucher gives them the fun and the choice. We have two, and they work differently.
1. The webshop voucher: by email
For anyone who likes shopping in our webshop. This voucher goes by email: to yourself, or straight to the recipient if you enter their email address. So no waiting for the post. Perfect if you’re (like all of us) cutting it a little close. Get it here.
2. The studio voucher: by post, to any address
For our studio at Reguliersbreestraat 46 in Amsterdam. It can be used for jewellery, a piercing and even a tattoo in the studio, but not in the webshop.
The best bit: we post it to a home address, and you choose which one. So it can go straight to the recipient. Handy if they live far away, or if you want to surprise them with an envelope on the doormat. Get it here.
Which voucher should you pick?
- Do they love shopping online? Go for the webshop voucher.
- Coming to Amsterdam for a piercing, tattoo or jewellery in the studio? Go for the studio voucher.
- Want it delivered straight to them as a surprise? The webshop voucher goes by email to the address you enter; the studio voucher is posted to the address you choose.
Buying jewellery anyway? Read this first
Unwrapping jewellery is fun, no doubt. But a piercing is personal: the length and size of the jewellery are decisive. A few millimetres off and it won’t fit or sit right. And that would be a waste of all that sparkle.
Piercing jewellery has a bar thickness and a length, and rings have a diameter. Common thicknesses are 1.2 mm and 1.6 mm, and a ball or top only fits a bar with the same thread size. How to read sizes: our size guide.
The safest choice: belly jewellery or an ear ring
Really want to give jewellery? Then go for navel (belly button) jewellery or a ring for the ear. Those are the safest picks, and honestly, they’re just really pretty too. Browse belly piercings or piercing rings.
Rather not risk the size or length? Give the Black Friday gift card (€150 credit for €99) and they pick the right fit themselves.
Is the piercing still fresh?
Then new jewellery is a gift for later. Looking forward to it is half the fun!
The Association of Professional Piercers (APP) advises leaving the initial jewellery in for the whole healing process (unless its size, style or material is a problem), letting a piercer do any changes during healing, and not hanging charms on it until fully healed.
Healing time differs per person; our average healing times are a rough guide.
Material: titanium, gold-plated or solid gold?
For a fresh piercing we go for titanium: we only use implant-grade titanium for initial piercings. Want that golden glow straight away? We usually fit a titanium bar with a gold top. A little edgy, a little chic. That first bar is longer, and gets swapped for a shorter one at the studio later on.
We also have two kinds of ‘gold’, and they really are different products. 24K PVD is titanium with a gold plating: the gold look on titanium. 14K and 18K are real, solid gold: a piece that lasts. In our gold jewellery the internal thread is titanium, because a gold thread wears out quickly. Full overview: piercing materials.
Getting pierced together
Sometimes the best present is simply going together: a trip into town, giggling in the waiting area and walking out with matching sparkle. A date you’ll see in the mirror for years. You can just walk in, or book ahead (find our contact details on the customer service page). Not sure which? Read book an appointment or just walk in?.
We have one golden rule: we always ask for your approval first. We mark the spot, you check it out, and only after your ‘yes!’ do we pierce. Nothing happens without your consent. Good to know: we do a maximum of 3 piercings per visit.
Aftercare in a nutshell: the AphraHeals wipe first, our favourite: practical, sterile and safe. Then the spray. The GGD (Dutch public health service) officially advises cleaning with water only, because it does not take responsibility for any product; our own studio advice is AphraHeals. Is a piercing getting red, warm or swollen, or does it stay inflamed? Contact your piercer or a doctor.
What clients say
Don’t just take our word for it (real Google reviews):
“She absolutely loved their jewelry selection — so many beautiful pieces to choose from.”
– Mishal Trivedi, Google review
“also the have a big range of jewerly for you to choose, so if you are in Amsterdam don’t hesitate!”
– Jennifer Tatiana Castañeda García, Google review
“My daughter got her first real piercing here (helix). A really warm welcome, we got an explanation and filled in the necessary paperwork.” (translated from Dutch)
– Daniel van Straten, Google review
Age and consent: check before you wrap
Buying a piercing for your teenager, niece or little brother? So sweet! Just check our studio rules first:
- Under 12: earlobe piercings only, done with a Studex gun and always with a parent or guardian present.
- Aged 12 to 16: only together with a parent or guardian, who signs a consent form. You both bring valid ID.
- From 16: you can come on your own. Just bring ID. Nipple and intimate piercings only from 16, not even with a parent’s consent.
- Tattoos: from 18 only. That’s our studio rule.
All the details: piercing & tattoo minimum age.
And more important than age: it’s their body. ‘Arranging’ a piercing for someone who didn’t ask for one isn’t a gift. Give them the voucher and let them decide whether, where and when.
A little something for yourself? PW VIP
Are you the piercing fan in the family? You deserve a treat too. With PW VIP you pay €50, €100 or €200 a year and get the same amount back as store credit. You always get 10% off in-store and online, priority service and first access to deals and limited drops. Sign up here.
One more gift idea with no price tag
Know someone who wants to know everything about piercings? Point them to our free online Piercing Museum, an initiative of Ira Lutvica. You can read all about it in Discover the Piercing Museum & the books of Piercings Works (page in Dutch). No wrapping paper needed, and a ‘Wait, I didn’t know that!’ is guaranteed.
Black Friday gift card: available now
Sinterklaas is not until 5 December, but the Black Friday gift card (€150 credit for €99) is already on sale until 1 December. A gift that never misses, with €51 of extra credit on top. See the Black Friday gift card.
Come and see us
Piercings Works has been piercing since 1998 and has been at Reguliersbreestraat 46, between Muntplein and Rembrandtplein, for 22 years. Dutch piercing studios need a GGD (municipal health service) licence, only granted after an inspection (source, in Dutch). We have one.
We’re open every day from 10:30 to 22:00, holidays included. Handy if you’re still panic-shopping on Christmas Eve. We won’t tell.
Visiting Amsterdam for the holidays? Grab our free guide: Piercing in Amsterdam as a Souvenir? The Ultimate Amsterdam Survival Guide.
FAQ
What’s the best piercing gift if I’m not sure?
A gift voucher. With the webshop voucher (by email: to yourself or straight to the recipient) or the studio voucher (by post), they choose the piercing, the jewellery and the size themselves.
Can the webshop voucher be sent straight to the recipient?
Yes. The webshop voucher goes by email: to yourself, or straight to the recipient if you enter their email address.
Can the studio voucher be sent straight to the recipient?
Yes. The studio voucher is posted to a home address, and you choose the address. Ideal if they live far away, or as a surprise.
Can I use the studio voucher online?
No. The studio voucher is only valid in the studio, for jewellery, piercings and tattoos. For the webshop, there’s the webshop voucher.
What’s the safest piece of jewellery to give?
Belly button jewellery or a ring for the ear. For other piercings, length and size are so personal that a voucher is the better gift.
Can new jewellery go straight into a fresh piercing?
Better not. The initial jewellery stays in while it heals, and any change or downsize is done by a piercer.
How many piercings can you get in one visit?
A maximum of 3 per visit.
Can a gift voucher be used for a tattoo?
Yes, the studio voucher can be used for a tattoo in the studio, from age 18. Book your tattoo appointment on Calendly.