How to Care for Alexandra Hakim Jewellery

Posted by

Gemma Deeks

September 23, 2026

On September 23, 2026

Buying Guide, How to

How to Care for Alexandra Hakim Jewellery

Posted by

Gemma Deeks

September 23, 2026 On September 23, 2026

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Alexandra Hakim jewellery is recycled brass with a 22K gold plate, and sterling silver. Both are durable, and both have rules. Follow them and a piece lasts years. Ignore them and the plate thins at the edges within a season. This is the brand’s own guidance, plus the practical detail behind it.

Key facts

Gold pieces	Recycled brass with a 22K gold plate, 18K gold earring posts
Silver pieces	Sterling silver, which darkens naturally over time
Avoid	Water, swimming, bathing, perfume, creams, cosmetics
Clean with	A soft dry cloth; a soft polishing cloth for silver
Never use	Silver dip, ultrasonic cleaners, abrasive paste, toothpaste
Store	In separate pouches, dry, out of direct sunlight
Golden rule	Jewellery goes on last, after perfume and lotion, and comes off first

The one rule that matters most

Put your jewellery on last. After the shower, after the moisturiser, after the perfume, after the hairspray. Take it off first, before you wash your hands for the night.

Almost every case of plating wearing off early comes down to chemical contact rather than physical wear. Perfume and cosmetics are the main offenders, because alcohol and oils attack the plate at the surface. Getting the order right does more than any cleaning routine.

Gold-plated brass

The plate is a surface layer, so treat it as one.

Keep it dry. No swimming, no bathing, no washing up. Chlorine and salt water are the worst of it, but ordinary tap water plus soap will dull the finish over time.
No perfume, cream, cosmetics. The brand states this directly.
Wipe after wear. A soft dry cloth removes skin oils, which are mildly acidic. Ten seconds after each wear does most of the work.
Never use silver dip and an ultrasonic cleaner. Both strip plating. So does toothpaste, which is abrasive despite what the internet says.

Earrings and pendants outlast bracelets and rings, because they get less contact. If you want a piece to stay pristine, that is the category to buy.

Sterling silver

Silver tarnishes. It is a chemical reaction with sulphur in the air, not a fault, and the brand says as much: sterling silver may tarnish over time, which is perfectly normal due to its material properties.

A soft polishing cloth brings the shine back, and that is all you need. Keep the silver pieces away from perfume, creams and water for the same reasons as the gold, and store them in a closed pouch, since air is what causes the tarnish in the first place.

At Coveti the silver pieces are the Silver Horseshoe Earrings, the Silver Matches Earrings, the Silver Matchstick Necklace and the Silver Strawberry Necklace.

Storage

Separate pouches, always. The brand asks for this specifically, and the reason is simple: cast pieces have texture and edges, and texture scratches plate. A jewellery box where everything tips into one compartment will do more damage than wearing the pieces.

Keep them dry and out of direct sunlight, and if you live somewhere humid, an anti-tarnish strip in the drawer helps the silver.

Handmade means each piece is different

One thing worth setting expectations on. Every piece is made by hand, one at a time, so the organic forms and small irregularities are part of the design. A pair of earrings will not be perfectly symmetrical, and the surface will not be mirror-flat.

That is not a defect and it is not something to try and polish out. Over-polishing a cast piece softens exactly the texture you paid for.

Travelling with it

Hand luggage, in the pouches, not loose in a wash bag. The most common travel damage is not loss, it is a cast piece sharing a compartment with a hard object for six hours.

A small zip pouch with separate compartments handles a full set. If you are taking one statement piece and one daily pair, that is usually the right amount of jewellery for a trip anyway, since these pieces are designed to be the only thing you are wearing.

What to do if a piece gets wet

Dry it straight away with a soft cloth, and let it finish drying in the air before it goes back in a pouch. Trapped moisture is worse than the initial splash.

If it went into salt water and chlorine, rinse it in clean fresh water first and then dry it thoroughly. Both salt and chlorine keep working on the plate while they sit on the surface, so getting them off matters more than keeping the piece dry in the first place.

When to get a piece re-plated

If a piece you wear constantly starts showing warm brass through the gold at the edges, it can be re-plated by a jeweller. This is normal, it is not a failure of the piece, and it is far better than replacing it.

Rings and bracelets reach that point first, because hands are in everything. Earrings and pendants often never need it. Our guide to gold plated brass covers how plating wears and what to expect.

Frequently asked questions

Can I shower with Alexandra Hakim jewellery?

No. The brand recommends not wearing the plated pieces when swimming and bathing. Water and soap dull the plate and speed up wear.

How do I clean gold-plated brass jewellery?

A soft dry cloth after each wear. Do not use silver dip, ultrasonic cleaners, abrasive paste and toothpaste, all of which strip the plating.

Why has my silver piece gone dark?

Sterling silver tarnishes with exposure to air, which is normal for the metal. A soft polishing cloth restores the shine.

Will gold-plated brass turn my skin green?

It can if the plate wears through and bare brass meets damp skin, but it is harmless and it washes off. Keeping the piece dry and away from cosmetics prevents it.

How should I store the pieces?

In separate pouches, dry and out of sunlight. Cast pieces have texture that scratches other plated jewellery, so do not store them loose together.

Can the plating be redone?

Yes. A jeweller can re-plate brass, and for a piece you wear constantly it is a reasonable thing to do after several years.

What do I do if my jewellery gets wet?

Dry it immediately with a soft cloth and let it air-dry fully before storing. If it met salt water and chlorine, rinse in clean fresh water first, since both keep attacking the plate while they sit on it.

How should I pack jewellery for travel?

In its pouches, in hand luggage, in a pouch with separate compartments. Most travel damage comes from cast pieces rubbing against hard objects, not from loss.