I don't know if the size of this16 gauge is supposed to be European size or what, but this is not the same 16 gauge that you would find at hot topic or spencers. This 16 gauge is more like a 10 or 14 they're very very skinny and very very small.  Opal balls are teeny teeny teeny tiny I couldn't even use it in my other piercings at the top of my ear because the ball was so small I couldn't even hold onto it :(