Questions we get asked

Between 4 g and 9 g the pair, so 2 g to 4.5 g per ear. For comparison, a small sleeper hoop is around 1 g and a large statement earring can be 15 g or more. The paperclip is the lightest in the range; the claw hammer and the tape measure are the two you will notice.

It can. Brass contains copper, copper reacts with skin acids and sweat, and on some people that leaves a green mark. It washes off and it is harmless, but it is real and we are not going to pretend otherwise. The part that touches your ear is the hoop, so if you know you react to brass, these are not for you.

Brass is an alloy of copper and zinc and our hoops are solid brass, so there is no nickel added. We do not hold a test certificate for trace content, so we will not put the words “nickel free” on the product page as though it were certified.

Yes, on a hinged catch — the same 12 mm hoop on all twelve pieces. The charm is fixed to the hoop and does not come off, which is deliberate.

No. It is glass powder fired onto the brass in a kiln, one pass per colour. Paint sits on top and scratches off in a line; fired enamel is part of the surface and chips instead, in a flake, if you hit it hard enough.

Because enamel pulls back slightly from a rim as it melts. It happens on every piece and we leave it rather than grinding it away. It is the easiest way to tell a fired enamel from a printed one.

Normal, and not a fault. Firing glass powder traps the odd air pocket. A chip, a crack or bare metal where colour should be is a fault and we replace those.

Fired enamel does not fade in sunlight the way pigment does. What changes is the brass around it, which darkens with wear. A jeweller's cloth brings that back.

Take them off. Chlorine and salt water both attack brass, and soap leaves a film in the recesses of a textured charm that dulls the enamel. Nothing dramatic happens the first time; it is the twentieth time that shows.

A dry jeweller's cloth on the brass, a damp cloth on the enamel, dry immediately. No silver dip, no ultrasonic cleaner, no abrasive paste — all three will do more harm than the tarnish did. Full detail is on Care & Materials.

On carpet or wood, nothing. On tile or stone, the enamel can chip — it is glass. A chip cannot be repaired invisibly, so if it happens within thirty days of delivery tell us and we will treat it case by case.

$4.95 anywhere in the United States and $12.95 everywhere else, per order however many pairs are in it. Orders leave within two business days.

Typically 5 to 8 business days within the United States and 10 to 20 elsewhere, depending on customs.

Yes, within 30 days of delivery, provided they are unworn. Earrings are the one category where “unworn” genuinely matters for hygiene, so check them against a mirror before you wear them out of the house. Return postage is yours unless the item is faulty or we sent the wrong one.

No. Every order arrives in a plain card box with the pair on a slip of recycled backing card. We would rather not charge for ribbon.