Forged & FoundJewellery sourced, selected and developed with care.
© 2026 Forged and Found Ltd. Registered in England and Wales. Company no. 17045653. Registered office: Birmingham Assay Office, 1 Moreton Street, Birmingham, England, B1 3AX. VAT registration no. 268 6187 58.
Different materials suit different preferences, budgets and ways of wearing jewellery. We describe the material and finish of each piece on its product page so you can compare the options and make an informed choice.
Sterling silver is an alloy containing at least 92.5% silver, combined with other metals for strength. It can naturally tarnish when exposed to air, moisture and chemicals. Tarnish is a surface change and can often be reduced with suitable care.
Our gold vermeil jewellery has a sterling-silver base with gold plating 2.5 microns thick. The gold fineness and colour will be stated on the product page. Plated finishes can change gradually with wear and exposure.
Gold plating can be applied to a variety of base metals. At Forged & Found, our gold-plated jewellery uses sterling silver as the base metal and has a thinner gold coating than our gold vermeil. The gold fineness, colour and plating type will be stated on the product page.
Solid gold is an alloy of gold and other metals. Its fineness—such as 9ct, 14ct or 18ct—is stated on the product page. Different finenesses have different colours and physical characteristics; no single option is right for everyone.
We identify precious and semi-precious gemstones as natural or laboratory-created. Simulants, such as cubic zirconia, are described by their actual material rather than as laboratory-created gemstones. Product-specific grading is included where it is available. Natural stones can vary in colour, pattern and clarity, so an individual stone may not look identical to representative imagery.
Items are hallmarked where UK law requires it. A hallmark verifies precious-metal fineness; it is not a guarantee against changes caused by wear, impact, chemicals or unsuitable care. See Hallmarkingfor an explanation and the official Dealer's Notice. Product descriptions should be read together with the dimensions, finish, stone information and care notes shown for that piece.
If a question is not answered on the product page, in this guide or in our FAQs, contact us through the Contact page and we will help with the information available for the piece.
