Reviewed & updated: October 19, 2022 by Jamie Wilson BA
In search of some jaw-dropping clavicle tattoo designs to flaunt? Look no more. Here are our top 10 picks to help you get inked!
A clavicle tattoo, or most commonly known as the collarbone tattoo, is a go-to for lovers of body art.
Since the collar bone is by far the most visible part of the body, getting a tattoo here is bound to turn heads. However, this beauty comes with a cost.
Collarbone tattoos are usually placed near the clavicle bones and can be extended to the shoulders and the chest. People generally begin their tattoo journey with the upper arms for it is relatively less painful. The clavicle, on the other hand, is one of the most difficult places to get inked. Due to the presence of many nerves in here and the surface area offered to be inherently close to the collarbone, it causes great pain. For people who are on the skinnier side, a collarbone tattoo can be a bit more difficult with very little flesh between the skin and the bone. If you have a high pain tolerance and are not afraid to show your artsy self, we have curated some of the best collarbone tattoo ideas for your inspiration!
Clavicle Tattoo With A Quote
Collarbone tattoos are mostly seen with a simple quote that means something to the wearer. It can be a self-affirming quote as shown in the picture, or can just be a simple word that reflects you. While dealing with quotes, keep in mind the ink and the font that you would like on your body. Here, the script is in cursive, but rather casual exhibiting a truly effortless style. The fine ink keeps the design natural and delicate.
If you are someone who likes to go a little beyond just words, adding a tiny symbol is a cute trick. Here, the font is in cursive but quite bold. The little wings add depth to the meaning of the statement and dare you to believe. You could also add a feather or a small bird to your tattoo, celebrating your free spirit. Such a minimalist approach avoids overcrowding yet adds a significant detail.
Clavicle Tattoo With Florals
This collarbone tattoo is for women who can’t get enough of flowers. This art is apt for the nature lover in you with cherry blossoms on the one hand and pretty blues on the other. The branches in black ink accentuate the beauty of the flowers in this tattoo. Contrasting colours distribute the attention equally on both shoulders and bring out their charm. If you are not a big fan of a full shoulder tattoo, might as well try a few small flowers tangled around a branch. Roses or any other vibrant flower might be a good choice.
If you like your tattoos monochromatic, this rose tattoo on the collarbone area could be your pick. The tattoo design is cute yet elegant. The intricate details on petals and shading are brilliantly handled by the tattoo artist. This might be an apt tattoo idea for your love for roses.
Elaborate Clavicle Tattoo Designs
Richly designed elaborate tattoos are a favourite for people who love getting tattooed. Though it gets a lot difficult for collarbone tattoos, here is an idea of how you can do it if you are willing. Most of the details are methodically placed on the shoulder and extended to the collarbone and neck. The figure of the geisha, her fan and shawl are minutely inked with black. To give the piece an out-worldly edge, the tattoo artist has incorporated the motif of the fearful sea creature that spreads its tentacles towards the collar bone. You might draw inspiration from this piece and perhaps place a serpent amidst a rose bush.
This design is closely related to the one shown above. But the major focus lies on the collarbone and the peak of the shoulders. The snake is brought back to life with rich details, especially towards its head and mouth. Black outlines highlight the art, acting as a mirror to your bold persona.
Minimal Clavicle Tattoo
Flowers but not too flowery? A collarbone tattoo is what the minimalist in you needs. This dainty line art in black ink checks off all the criteria for a cute style! If you think out of the box, dump rose and all the like for this tiny lotus. The flower is carefully designed with three fine dots on the petals and one below the stem.
Here, the artist goes beyond the line work and adds a tinge of colour to this collar bone tattoo. Birds are drawn in close accordance with minimalism. Two shades of blue ink are used on the feather and tail of the birds to bring the art to life. It also poses to impart a mellow shade to the skin near the collarbone. You can also try this design with the moon, a feather, a rose, a butterfly, or anything from nature that fascinates you.
Offbeat Clavicle Tattoo
Women with a quirky taste would definitely love this collarbone tattoo. The placement of this piece is brilliant and perhaps wouldn’t look as fascinating as it does here. Shades of blue and a fine outline of black ink have never looked so good together! The waves cover the area above the collarbone and the sea creature holds the centre extending to the chest. Heads up, this clavicle tattoo is definitely painful owing to its detailing but will be worth all the hurt bringing out the bold you.
This one is for the fearless experimenters of body art. Collarbone tattoos are relatively small-scaled tattoos but you can always break the chain. Here, the artist uses plain black to ink the body of the bats, while the wings are only outlined. There is a little bit of shift in the placement of this tattoo from the collarbone area, perhaps due to the demand of the design. Collarbone tattoo ideas like such can also be a little less painful. Finally, the black stars serve as an embellishment for the ones who fly at night.
Symbolic Clavicle Tattoo
Collar bone tattoos can exhibit deep symbolism when chosen carefully. Here, the design of the eye in between the two clavicle bones can remind one of the third eye. The third eye is popularly portrayed on the forehead expressing spiritual enlightenment and wisdom. Placing it on the neck is a powerful tool to twist conventions and convey this symbol without the use of words. Though this beauty is well-fitted for a collarbone tattoo, you can also add some colours around the eye to make it more hypnotic.
Similarly, this collarbone tattoo showcases the symbol of the Valknut. The Valknut includes three interlocking triangles and finds mention in Norse mythology. Though the definite meaning of this symbol is argued upon, it is mostly observed with the notion of death and the great mythic figure, Odin. If you have a love for these enigmatic symbols, a collarbone tattoo might be your best pick.
3D Clavicle Tattoo
Men’s clavicle tattoo is hard to come by but not impossible. To all the men looking for inspiration to get tattooed, this might be the end of your search. To top it off, this collarbone tattoo is a three-dimensional representation of a snake laced on a branch, except the branch is your collarbone. How perfect can a tattoo placement get? The detailed snake coupled with the shading of the collarbone makes it an impeccable piece of art. For a different style, you may use the flying motif of a butterfly or a bird or a falling feather near the shoulder area.
Here is another example of how 3D collarbone tattoos can work for anyone. You don’t really need to look at all the spectacular objects in the world to get a tattoo. In fact, it can be your pet cat on your skin. This collarbone tattoo design enables you to cling to the memory of your cat stretching one fine evening. Such tattoo ideas celebrate the bond between you and your pet and etch the love in art.
Detailed Clavicle Tattoo
Tattoos like this cover a relatively smaller area yet are filled with intricacies to the brim. Here, the tattoo is placed in the collarbone area with the two cats representing yin yang. If you closely look at the piece, there are visible differences co-existing in the two cats, as is expected of a yin yang. Tiny pink flower and green leaves are added to link them to nature. The sun and the moon placed on the two cats are also symbolic of day and night, displaying binaries yet again.
This collarbone tattoo is a similar idea, except devoid of colours. The details are due to shading techniques that highlight and conceal both at the same time. The werewolf is drawn beyond perfection and the butterfly adds a minuscule decor to bridge the negative space. You may add a cosmic glimpse by including stars and replacing the wolf with a human.
Clavicle Tattoos With Numerics
This dainty little tattoo with Roman numerics is for you if you are a minimalist and have an affinity for French tattoos. Plain black ink is best suited for such cute line tattoos. Have a special date in mind? Get it inked on your clavicle!
Here is a queer example of how you can experiment with your number tattoo. Numbers are inserted into the four renowned symbols from a pack of cards. These trump cards accommodate the numbers which are well-highlighted to catch the eye.
Dreamy Clavicle Tattoo
This clavicle tattoo celebrates the dreamer within the wearer. The piece is beautifully crafted from the perspective of a child who sees the world and the stars in a way that the grown-ups don’t. The earth is perhaps a sleepy, woolly fox and we are only to look beyond the sky. Such tattoos are perfect for everyone who does not shun away from their lunacy but keep it alive.
If you are a selenophine, you’d be in love with this piece of collarbone tattoo! How many times have we been so fascinated by the way the moon changes its shape every day? This clavicle tattoo with the moon’s phases is almost a reminder to take a break from the humdrums of everyday life and get lost looking at the moon as it transforms ever so beautifully.
Collarbone tattoos are common in women but they can equally work wonders on men’s body. Due to the high exposure of the collarbone area, a tattoo makes a good ornamenting tool to showcase your true self. There are a myriads of collarbone tattoo ideas for you to draw inspiration from. Here are some suggestions to style your collarbone tattoo:
- Clavicle tattoo with a crown
- Clavicle tattoo of a paper plane
- Clavicle tattoo with a tiny heart
- Clavicle tattoo with a name
- Clavicle tattoo with a heart and heartbeats