Metal — the sticks, forks and pins. Zinc alloy with a plated finish, in [gold tone / silver tone — confirm the plating with your supplier and name it here]. Alloy is the right weight for this job: heavy enough that a stick sits still once it is in, light enough that it does not drag a bun down over an afternoon.

Resin — the claws, the oversize clips, the tortoiseshell pieces.[Cellulose acetate or moulded resin — ask which; acetate is the better one and worth saying if it is true]. Resin stays at room temperature against your scalp, where metal takes a minute to warm up, and it holds patterns that metal cannot.

On metal sensitivity. Plated zinc alloy commonly has nickel somewhere in the layers. Hair contact is not the same as a piercing and most people never notice — but if costume jewelry gives you trouble, the resin pieces are the safer choice. We would rather say that than let you find out.

Five rules of care

1. Keep it dry. Out before the shower, the pool and the sea. Chlorine and salt are what actually kill a plated finish, not time.

2. Perfume and hairspray go first. Spray, let it dry, then put the piece in. Alcohol dulls plating and clouds resin.

3. Wipe, do not wash. A dry soft cloth after wear is the whole routine. No jewelry dip, no ultrasonic cleaner, no alcohol wipes.

4. Store it flat and apart. Metal against metal scratches. A pouch, a soft-lined drawer or the box it came in — any of the three is enough.

5. Do not sleep in it. Not because the piece will break. Because you are lying on it.

What to expect over time
Plated metal wears at the points that touch things — the tip of a stick, the ridge of a claw. On a piece worn several times a week you may see the finish soften after [realistic window, e.g. six to twelve months]. That is normal for plated metal at any price, and it is not a fault. Resin does not wear that way, but it scratches, and a deep scratch does not polish out.

If either of those matters to you, rotate two pieces rather than wearing one every day. It roughly doubles the life of both.

If something arrives wrong
Photograph it before you do anything else and email us within 30 days of delivery. A cracked piece, a plating flaw or a sharp edge is our problem, not yours, and we replace it rather than arguing about it.