Shield Maiden Signet

For orders shipped outside the United Kingdom, Value Added Tax (VAT) will be removed from the price.

Please note that customs duties and local taxes are not included in our prices. These charges vary depending on the destination country and state. If you're unsure about the applicable taxes or customs fees, please contact your local customs office for more information.

If your piece is ready to ship, please allow up to 1 week for dispatch. For pre-order items, please allow up to 10 weeks for production.

If you need your ring sooner, feel free to email us at kobayashi@castrosmith.com, and we'll do our best to accommodate your request.

Once your order is placed, we will follow up to confirm all details.

Please note: For orders shipped outside the United Kingdom, Value Added Tax (VAT) will be removed from the price.

Please note that customs duties and local taxes are not included in our prices. These charges vary depending on the destination country and state. If you're unsure about the applicable taxes or customs fees, please contact your local customs office for more information.

We recommend reviewing our warranty, product care, and shipping information before placing your order.

Your Castro Smith piece is crafted to last a lifetime. While fine jewelry is durable, it remains delicate and should be handled with care. Over time, your piece will naturally wear and evolve. This can include more visible engraving, slight darkening inside as it accumulates "life," and signs of normal wear such as scratches and small dents.

General Care:

• Storage: When not wearing your jewelry, store it in a dark, dry place, preferably in the box it came in or a dedicated jewelry box.
• Avoid Chemicals: Precious metals and plating can be affected by chemicals like perfumes, body lotions, sun creams, and cleaning products. To minimize exposure, put on your jewelry after dressing and remove it when cleaning or washing dishes.

Care for Sterling Silver:

• Storage: Store silver jewelry in a cool, dry place. Avoid submerging it in chlorinated water, and remove it before swimming or bathing to prevent discoloration.

Care for Plating and Coating:

• Plated Jewelry: Most of our jewelry is plated with ceramic, rhodium, or 18ct/24ct gold. Plating on the outer surface of rings can scratch over time, especially due to daily wear. We recommend removing such pieces before using cleaning products or engaging in activities that could impact them. Treat these items as occasion wear to prolong their life. Repairs for worn plating are not covered, so extra care is essential.
• Ceramic Coating: Ceramic is durable but should be protected from perfumes, oils, and cleaning agents to avoid discoloration and damage. Ceramic can also crack or chip if exposed to excessive moisture, hard impacts, or bending.

Cleaning Your Jewellery:

• General Cleaning: Use a microfiber cloth to polish your jewellery. For dirt in engravings, a solution of soapy water and a soft toothbrush works well.
• Ceramic Cleaning: Gently clean ceramic plating with a soft-bristled toothbrush and warm water. Avoid chemical jewelry cleaners and ultrasonic cleansers.
  Materials & Ethics

We are committed to ethical and sustainable practices. Each stone is hand-selected, and we ensure the highest craftsmanship. For certified stones, please contact us for sourcing.

Ring Sizing:

Accurate ring sizing is crucial. Have your finger measured at a local jeweler before confirming the size with us? Keep in mind that body temperature can affect finger size. Alternatively, you can visit our studio in London to have your size taken.

Questions?

If you have further questions, please contact us at kobayashi@castrosmith.com.

Sustainability Statement

As a brand, we’re always conscious of what and how we produce. The jewellery world has a long way to go before it can become meaningfully sustainable, but we know it’s important be transparent with the choices we make around materials, processes and packaging. Castro’s style is intricate; by definition it takes time, detail, and consideration. Its emphasis has always been on creating one off pieces that will be kept forever, rather than mass-producing pieces with a short shelf-life. We’ve broken down some of our processes to show how seriously we take our impact and environment.

Our Materials

We only use 100% recycled gold and silver. No freshly mined metal has ever been added to our supply chain.

Every piece of Castro Smith jewellery is handmade in our London studio. If we require any outsourced, specialist processes, we work with suppliers based in the UK.

We always make a conscious effort to source stones from reputable suppliers. We regularly use lab-grown diamonds, and buy direct from fair-trade mines. We are also always happy to work with our clients’ own stones.

Our Packaging

All packaging we use is 100% recyclable or biodegradable and plastic-free.

This includes:

• A unique wooden box – we hope you’ll love this as much as your jewellery and keep or re-use it
• Inside each box is calico fabric lining and pouch
• ‘Mokuba Silk’ ribbon made from 100% cotton
• Print on paper of the original sketch of your piece of jewellery
• Recyclable cardboard box
• Eco-friendly paper bubble wrap
• Delivery
• Our chosen supplier for international shipments is DHL, through them we offset emissions for each delivery.

If we’re shipping within the UK, we use Royal Mail, who have the lowest reported carbon emissions per parcel of any major UK delivery company.

We’re constantly re-assessing how we put our pieces out into the world and researching the different options available to us have as a business. If you have a specific question that hasn’t been answered, please drop us a line.