★★★★★ 4.6 (350+ reviews)
- Every star cut by hand, the engraving tool pressed into the copper one point at a time
- No nickel — the metal that spoiled earrings for half the women we sell to
- 99.9% pure copper: a solid single metal, not a copper-coloured coat over something cheaper
- The pattern is cut into the metal, so it doesn't rub flat the way a printed one does
You found out about nickel the hard way, and you were about fifteen
Most women do. Ears pierced on a Saturday afternoon, a pair of cheap studs in for a fortnight, and then the itch — the hot, sore lobe you could feel through the school day. After that it was a lifetime of taking earrings out at eight o'clock, of only wearing the one trusted pair, of looking at a lovely set on a market stall and putting it back down.
Nickel is the most common jewellery contact allergen there is, and the earlobe is where most people meet it. There is none in this. The material on this listing is 99.9% pure copper — one metal, nothing plated over the top of it, nothing cheaper hidden underneath.
- Nothing hidden in the metal: no nickel, the usual culprit, isn't in it
- Nothing to wear off: the colour is the metal, not a coating a few microns thick
- Nothing to rub flat: the stars are cut into the copper, not printed onto it
One size, sold as a pair. £22.99 at the moment, down from £45.98.
Why the usual ways round sensitive ears don't really work
ONE PAIR
Wearing the same trusted pair for years
It works, which is exactly the problem. One pair of earrings has to go with a funeral, a christening, the supermarket and a fiftieth birthday, and by now you've stopped noticing you're wearing them at all. Safe isn't the same as pleased.
VARNISHED
Painting clear nail varnish on the posts
The old trick, and it does buy you an evening. But varnish on a post is thin, it wears through in days, and it can peel off in the ear — so you're re-doing it before every outing and never quite trusting it.
PRINTED
The patterned pair that goes plain
A pattern rolled or printed onto the surface sits on top of the metal with almost no depth to it. Six months of handling and a pocket in a handbag and it's smooth — whereas engraving is cut into the copper, so there's something there to catch light for years.
Hand-engraved copper against plated high-street earrings
Buy more than one and the price comes down again
This is a live discount on the shop, not a code to remember. It is taken off automatically at the checkout, and it comes off on top of the half-price sale that is already running.
2 pieces — 10% off
The earrings and a cuff to go with them, and ten per cent comes off the whole basket by itself.
3 pieces — 15% off
Three pieces takes it to fifteen per cent. They don't have to match and they don't all have to be for you.
4 pieces — 20% off
Four or more and it's twenty per cent off the basket, stacked on top of the sale price. Nothing to type in, nothing to claim back.
How the stars are cut
One point at a time
Every star is made by pressing the engraving tool into the copper point by point, not by stamping a whole star in one blow. It's slow, and it's why the stars sit at slightly different angles — a stamped pattern is perfectly regular and looks it.
Cut in, not laid on
Because the engraving goes into the surface, it has somewhere to hold shadow. That's what gives the quick flash of light when you turn your head, and it's what a printed pattern can never do.
99.9% pure copper, no nickel
One metal, no plating, and none of the nickel that rules out so much costume jewellery. Copper is also naturally antimicrobial as a metal — that's a property of the material itself, and we make no claim about what it does for you.
99.9% pure copper · hand-engraved stars · sold as a pair, one size · £22.99 (was £45.98)
Common questions
Will copper mark my earlobes green?
It can leave a faint green tint on some skin, and we'd much rather say so than have it come as a shock. It's the copper reacting with the natural acids in your skin — it's harmless, it's a mark and not a rash, and it washes off with soap and water in seconds. It shows up more in warm weather or if you've perfume or hairspray on. A thin coat of clear lacquer on the back of the copper cuts it right down if you'd rather avoid it entirely.
I react to almost every earring. Is this different?
It may well be. Nickel is the most common jewellery contact allergen there is, and it is what most people are reacting to — there is none in this piece, which is 99.9% pure copper. We can't promise how any individual's skin will behave, but the usual cause simply isn't present. And if they don't suit you, you've 30 days to send them back.
Will the star engraving wear away?
No. It's cut into the copper rather than printed on the surface, so there's no layer to rub off. As the copper darkens, the patina settles into the cut lines and the stars actually stand out a little more than they did when new.
They've gone dark. Can I get them bright again?
Easily. A little lemon juice and salt on a soft cloth, worked over the copper and then rinsed and dried, brings them back in about a minute — an old soft toothbrush gets into the star engraving. Because the colour goes all the way through the metal, you can do this as often as you like.
Do they go with the rest of the copper collection?
Yes — everything in this collection is the same 99.9% pure copper, so a cuff, a ring and these will settle into the same warm tone over time rather than drifting apart. That's harder to manage with plated pieces, which age at whatever rate their coating decides.
Can I return them if they're not right?
Yes. 30 days, and UK delivery is free. If they aren't what you pictured, send them back and we'll refund you.
What customers are saying
Illustrative examples of the feedback we get on this piece, not verbatim reviews.
★★★★★
Maureen B., 71
"I've worn the same two pairs of earrings since 1994 because everything else made my ears sore. These have been in all week and I keep forgetting they're there."
★★★★★
Hilary J., 60
"You have to get them close to the light to see the little stars properly, and then they're rather lovely. My daughter has ordered a pair."
Evely Rose Boutique · Product details reflect the current listing.
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