The piece of jewelry you can see in the picture is intended to be used in two piercings. It requires a double ear piercing. These two holes are usually - if not always - on the outer edge of the ear and are called industrial piercing. The barbell goes through the first hole across the ear and into the second piercing. Thus, the balls are outside the edge while the bar goes across the ear on the front side - it will probably make more sense if you look at the pictures.

The barbell is available in several different colors, due to a long-lasting coating that lasts longer than regular platings. Both the bar and the balls are coated in the color of your choice. The balls have a diameter of 3/16" (5 mm). The bar has a gauge of 14g (1.6 mm) and a length of 1-1/2" (38 mm). 

The design of the barbell is extraordinary. Regular industrial barbells consist of a normal bar. In this case, the bar is twisted, with the effect of a twisted rope. If you think this may make the edges sharp, you are wrong. The twists are so tight that you can only feel soft grooves on the surface.