Woman Who Got Jewelry Permanently Welded Onto Her Wrist Says It Wasn’t Nearly As Painful As It Sounds

Since the trend #Permanent Jewelry began popping online, many people have been flocking to stores like Catbird that specialize in forever bracelets. It might sound extreme, but it appears it’s not quite what it sounds like. The bracelet doesn’t attach to the skin; instead, the chain fits your wrist and is welded close, so there’s no clasp. 

“My mom was nervous she wouldn’t like the bracelets enough to want to keep one on forever, but she ended up loving the options and her pick,” a woman said of their experience. 

She added: “When I told my mom I was taking her to get jewelry welded onto us, she gave me the mom look of, “We’re doing what?” She was worried about the commitment to permanent jewelry and wasn’t sure she’d like the style she picked forever. But once we got into the shop and picked up our bracelets, her concern quickly faded.”

“I envisioned something big and bulky like handcuffs or something,’ my mom said after our appointment. We chose matching paper-clip-patterned bracelets that cost $144 each, which falls in the middle of the price range for a permanent bracelet at Catbird.”

Permanent jewelry starts at about $100, depending on the style and where you purchase it. Forever bracelets at Catbird cost the same as those with clasps and the free welding service. According to Insider, the woman was curious about the permanent jewelry hype but eventually decided to visit Catbird to get matching forever bracelets with her mother.

They continued: “This month, I relieved my childhood passion of getting friendship bracelets. But this time, I decided to make mine permanent.”

“I’d seen TikTok videos of people getting “permanent jewelry” necklaces or bracelets that someone professionally welds onto their bodies, so I surprised my mom with a visit to Catbird. While words like “permanent” and “welding” were intimidating at first, I didn’t think the process was as intense as it sounded, and I’ll be back for more.”

According to the woman [unmanned], Catbird was packed when they visited, and the longest part of the process was waiting for their appointment.

“We were surprised to find the jewelry store was packed when we visited on a Saturday at 5:30 p.m. There were many customers shopping and getting permanent jewelry that we had to wait a bit before someone could check us in for our appointment. We didn’t mind because it gave us plenty of time to look around and pick out our jewelry.” 

It’s alleged the entire process, including measuring and welding after they were seated with the jewelers, eventually took less than 10minutes.

The woman further shared: “From start to finish, the entire zapping, Catbird’s name for its welding process took about seven minutes for my mom. Mine took a bit longer than my mom’s, but only because my jeweler started over once to perfect my bracelet’s fit. I appreciated that attention to detail. I was a little intimidated by the flashing light and crackle and pop of the welding tool, but it didn’t hurt at all.”

Despite initial hesitation about having something wrapped around her wrist, the woman admitted she didn’t feel constricted by the bracelet.

And getting the permanent jewelry together with her mom was a bonding experience they’d cherish forever.

However, Sriya Karumanchi, Catbird’s marketing director, has revealed they get between 80 and 100 appointments a day since permanent jewelry debuted online. She told Insider: “We have quite a few TikTokers who regularly come into the SoHo and Williamsburg stores. It’s been a huge driver of forever-bracelet awareness.” 

An employee also insisted the viral videos had fueled the store’s recent sales, which makes sense given the number of views each video can accumulate.

@presleyparkerrr I gatekeeped catbird for so long #zapped #catbird #soho ♬ Fire for You – Cannons