FAQs

Find your answers here

Frequently asked questions about the jewellery

byMaraca jewellery is mostly made from solid brass, recycled 925 Sterling silver and bronze. The little card the jewellery is attached to when buying and/or the online listing will tell you what materials have been used.

When I say the 'main material' is brass and the 'finding' is recycled 925 Sterling silver, that means that, for example, the front of the earring is made from brass, while the earring post that goes through the ear is made from recycled 925 Sterling silver. Or, for a necklace, I might say the main material, aka the pendant, is made from brass, while the finding is made from 18ct gold-plated 925 Sterling silver, which will refer to the chain. Main material generally is the design element, while findings are the bits that make it work as jewellery.

Every metal and ceramic element on byMaraca jewellery is fully handmade except the fine chains (life's too short for that). This means that even on beaded earrings, while I carefully source pearls and beads, the shape of the stud or drop earring and even the wire that holds the beads were made from wire or sheet metal and formed with my own hands, a blowtorch, a hammer, likely some pliers and a whole lot of skill and love.

No, and there's very good reasons.

Any solid metal will tarnish, whether that's brass, silver or gold. The only way to achieve tarnish-free and water-resistant pieces is to coat and/or plate them, and most tarnish-free and water-resistant jewellery is neither once the base metal underneath is uncovered.

I choose to work with solid metals as it is much quicker and more sustainable to polish a piece back to shine than have plating flake off and ruin the piece of jewellery potentially forever, sometimes even leaving sharp edges.

My only exception? Fine chains. Any golden-coloured fine chains that support my handmade pendants are 18ct gold-plated 925 Sterling silver, and I fully appreciate the plating might wear off over time, hence my recommendation to never wear them in the shower or when working up a sweat. Event then, as they are so fine, there is no flaking but rather a subtle change in colour that will not ruin the overall picture. This comes after talking to my customers, and the majority requested 18ct gold-plated over full brass necklaces.

While the promise of tarnish-free and water-resistant jewellery seems great in the moment, once the effect wears off, your jewellery might not be fit for purpose. Solid materials and a quick polish are the only long-lasting solution.

Tarnished jewellery is very easy to bring back to a shiny life by using the polishing pad you will receive with any direct purchase, or by using Brasso. I have a page dedicated to care instructions to help you look after your jewellery.

Some people's skin can turn green or black when wearing brass jewellery, for some it doesn't affect their skin at all. It's a bin unfair if you're part of the unlucky group, but let's understand what's happening:

What is the green residue?

The green colour on your skin from certain jewellery happens when metals like copper (which is part of most metals and not just brass, even 925 Sterling Silver) react with the acids (eg sweat) in your skin, creating a greenish substance. It's harmless and washes off easily.

How can I avoid it?

Firstly, always take your jewellery off when getting your hands wet, be that washing them or working up a sweat. If you know your skin is prone to changing colour when wearing brass, the easiest way to avoid a discolouration of your skin whilst still wearing your beautiful jewellery is building a barrier with clear nail varnish. It is long-lasting and cheap. Just apply a thin coat to where the metal touches the skin to prevent the copper reacting with the acids. Reapply as often as necessary.

Yes, so many! If you're curious, come to one of my events where my table is always bursting with a whole array of designs, or check out my instagram for little peeks.

All ring designs that I sell online are adjustable, which means they can fit almost any ring size! Most byMaraca rings easily fit UK sizes H to Q, some even smaller / larger. If in doubt, get in touch! I can send a picture of an adjustable ring shaped to your desired size and you can have a think and see whether that works for you.

No, I'm afraid I would not recommend it.

While neither 925 Sterling Silver nor brass are allowed to contain substantial amounts of nickel (or lead, for that matter) in the UK, the smallest traces might be found (up to 0.1% is legal), and for severe allergies that might be enough. If you only get slightly itchy ears from wearing brass jewellery (hey, me too!), you should be fine with the byMaraca earrings that use silver posts. However I don't advertise my jewellery as hypoallergenic for a reason. If you already have a pair, though, try clear nail polish on the bits that touch your skin. It might build enough barrier to wear your jewellery safely, however always err on the side of caution and if in doubt, ask your doctor or don't wear it.

Yes, byMaraca only features real freshwater pearls.

If you get itchy ears from brass jewellery, you're not alone! Brass is an alloy and contains copper and zinc mainly, but it can contain traces of other metals, too. Your body might struggle with any one of those metals in higher quantities.

925 Sterling silver consists of 92.5% pure silver, with other metals (such as copper) being added to harden it, as pure silver is very very soft. Having only 7.5% of the silver consist of those other metals might be enough to hold of any reaction, and for most people it is.

So, if you tend to get itchy ears from brass jewellery, opt for my earrings where the posts are made from 925 Sterling silver and you will likely be fine. If you have an acute contact allergy, I cannot recommend any of my pieces, see question 'I have a nickel allergy, can I wear byMaraca jewellery?' above.

I'd say 'no', however that's the short answer.

The longer answer is: You can shower in your jewellery - however any solid metal piece will tarnish a lot more quickly (potentially one shower is enough) and require more frequent polishing if worn when showering! So overall, I would not recommend wearing any jewellery when showering, or working out, or handling harsh chemicals.

For plated metal (like the gold-plated chains I use), showering in them will mean that the plating will wear off at a more rapid pace, so you will be left with a silver-looking chain eventually.

Pleaseget in touch! If anything breaks, it's likely I can fix it as it has been fully handmade in the first place. If it was a faulty make, I will most likely cover any costs once I receive the piece back, if it happened due to an accident, a small repair fee plus shipping might be necessary.I don't offer repairs for pieces not made by me originally.

Frequently asked questions about the shop

Please see the Returns page for information.

We will work quickly to ship your order as soon as possible, usually within a few days, sometimes it can take up to a week. Once your order has shipped, you will receive an email with further information. Delivery times vary depending on your location and the shipping option you have selected. You can find more information on shipping on the Delivery page.

byMaraca is based on the Wirral and is making every effort to source materials from the UK.

Shipping is calculated based on your location and the items in your order. You will always know the shipping price before you purchase. Please see the Delivery page for more information.

Please get in touch! If anything breaks, it's likely I can fix it as it has been fully handmade in the first place. If it was a faulty make, I will most likely cover any costs once I receive the piece back, if it happened due to an accident, a small repair fee plus shipping might be necessary.I don't offer repairs for pieces not made by me originally.

I'd feel so honoured to receive aGoogle review, and it would really help others find my jewellery, too. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!

Frequently asked questions about the brand

Yes absolutely! For any shop enquires, please contactinfo@bymaracajewellery.comand I'm happy to send you my catalogue and hat further - I currently do both wholesale and SoR, the latter coming with a few conditions like ad-hoc stock updates and ideally structured reorders in order to receive stock at the same pace as wholesale.