Frequently Asked Questions

APP stands for Association of Professional Piercers, it's a non-profit organisation, dedicated to spreading vital health and safety information about piercing. They offer so much to the piercing industry and we are very proud to represent them. As member and also a recipient of their Legacy (nee Al D. Sowers) scholarship award in 2017, Jess has always taken safety and education seriously.

Please visit www.safepiercing.org to learn about this organisation and verify Golden Fern's membership for yourself. UKAPP is the UK's association, of which we are also a member.

Yes, we are appointment only. This is so we can give you our undivided attention and assistance, adequately prep and clean any areas a client will occupy and be able to finish up our session neatly in time before other clients are expected. You can book your appointment by going to the Booking & Policies page and scrolling down.

After reading through Booking Policies you will reach Online Appointments underneath where you can schedule yourself. 

If you require assistance or are not sure what to book please use the Contact Form (found on Homepage and also 'Contact Us' ) to send your booking request. Make sure to include information such as:
- Procedure you are looking to book (styling session, piercing, shopping, removal, downsize, consultation etc)

- Your availability that correlates with the days listed there and AM or PM preference

- Any ideas or inspiration you have.

Please do not contact us on multiple platforms (we do not read or reply to DMs on IG or FB- only email) or send follow-up emails if it has only been 2 days.

All metals are implant grade or biocompatible, and inert therefore safe to be worn inside the human body. All gemstones are either natural and genuine (including sapphires, opals, diamonds) or lab-made for strength (like cubic zirconia and synthetic opals, also known as fauxpals) and are hardware-set meaning no glues come into contact with any jewellery purchased at Golden Fern Piercing.
Because of these reasons, the cost of a piercing will vary greatly depending on your final choice.

Pricing things in the studio together is no problem and we can help work toward budgets, providing the bottom line is a safely done piercing. The minimum fee is non-negotiable and discussed before consent forms are filled out, procedures performed or payment taken. You are under no obligation to get pierced should you have a change of heart- a booking fee is the only charge you will incur.

A piercing procedure is broken down into a few separate costs:

• 
  Piercing fee- this is the service charge to safely and expertly perform the piercing you require and varies from £30-£45 per piercing depending on location.
• 
  Non-decorative, implant grade jewellery in an appropriate shape and size (labret, barbell, captive bead ring, circular barbell, retainer etc) £25-£40
  
• Decorative choices (optional) vary from £20 to upwards of £1,000 as many are made from precious metals and gemstones. We have a huge array of styles, designs, colours and shapes suited to all budgets. Pricing is discussed verbally, visually and in writing prior to commitment.

• Sterile saline aftercare (suggested but optional) £8.50-£12

 Other procedures such as jewellery removal or changeover, tapering an existing piercing open or stretching have a £5-£15 procedure fee.

Minimum cost for most popular piercings made with non-decorative jewellery will likely be £60-£70 though any and all pricing is finalised verbally, visually and in writing before committing to the total on the day so no shocks or accidental overspends. Figures on this page represent a guide and not a contractual confirmation of total.

Transaction receipts and breakdowns are provided digitally as well as the totalled amount noted on your consent form.

After you have made that commitment, it is your responsibility to pay what you owe. Failure to do so is theft and has serious legal repercussions.

Payment can be made via cash, most debit/credit cards, bank transfer or split over several of those methods for your convenience.

• All sales are final. If an item has a fault and needs replacing, you will be given options involving repair of the original piece or replacement where appropriate. 
• No refunds. If you make a payment you later regret, we will not be able to cancel or refund that payment

All purchases of jewellery and aftercare products are final and cannot be returned, refunded or exchanged. 

All jewellery stocked is warrantied for life against mechanical or setting defects but that doesn't mean your jewellery is unbreakable. Damage through misuse is not covered under warranty (removing your own jewellery at home and warping a ring, snapping a pin, breaking fine chain etc) but can still be repaired by manufacturer at a small charge for insured shipping back to the USA and any labour fees incurred. Repairs and replacements can take many weeks to complete and are out of our control. Any breakage occurring outside of 1 year after purchase will be considered user error and not the assumed responsibility of the company or Golden Fern Piercing to replace or repair uncompensated.

We are not liable for any jewellery lost in your possession (even if we installed it), therefore we do not offer replacements for lost jewellery or facilitate repairs unless you can present the jewellery.

If you are unable to collect your jewellery from the store after a repair or replacement  we can post it to a UK address using RM Special Delivery at an £8 cost to you.

A more in-depth section about this topic is available on the Booking & Policies page

If the maker is reputable and we hold an account then it would be our pleasure. If the maker is unknown or clearly a less than ideal standard, we will gladly find you similar pieces that are made to a higher quality and of verifiable materials. Custom orders are something Jess really enjoys helping with. Please visit the 'Custom Creation' tab if you'd like to know more about custom ordering and the incredible array of gemstone options with BVLA.

No. Part of being an APP and UKAPP member means that we commit to bringing you a safe piercing experience and an important part of that is being able to verify what is going into your body, with confidence. Jewellery not purchased from the studio will not be used or installed in fresh or healed piercings, whether it was purchased online or from another studio. No matter how confident you are at the quality of jewellery you bring in, we cannot confirm its origin nor integrity. Several people have brought jewellery sold to them elsewhere as BVLA which they are 100% confident in. It has been our displeasure to have to demonstrate how we know it is not (subpar workmanship, visible hallmarks and other dead giveaways to the trained eye). It is not your responsibility as client to provide the jewellery and Golden Fern Piercing cannot take your verbal assurance no matter how confident you are as you feasibly could have been mis-sold the item.

Absolutely! From consultations to styling sessions, Jess offers a lot of opportunities to get creative. Part of what we enjoy most about piercing is celebrating differences and individuality so, please prepare for your appointment and bring pictures or ideas with you for inspiration so we can get a feel for your style before making too many suggestions.

Our first session can include whatever you choose to prioritise though it will always start with a consultation where we discuss your goals and break it down into attainable steps so we know we're moving in the right direction. We can give as much creative direction as you like but when it comes to do with practicality we will always mention anything we feel you should know so you can make informed decisions.

8 for lobes only.

16 for several other options

18+ for the full 'menu'. Please see Booking Policies for a detailed breakdown of these age brackets and what is required.

There's no short answer- maybe, it all depends on the circumstances. 

If you are clearly an adult (over 25) and you have:

- got married or divorced

- changed your name via deed pole

- transitioned from your assigned gender (and therefore often name) 

You won't need a copy of your ID and we will never ask folk to supply ID that deadnames them 

but

if you are a minor, young adult or look fortunately youthful and your ID does not match your name it may be an issue. We never want to put someone in a position that makes them uncomfortable but in certain cases we must have legal documentation demonstrating that who signed the consent form is who they say they are. If you feel you or your child may fall into this category please send an enquiry via the contact form on the homepage to let us know your ID situation.

Safety. Some piercings are not safe or viable and cause lasting damage like the tongue-tip one that has recently been a trend. oral frenum, any type of tongue piercing that isn't central and vertical, surface anchors, snug, are all piercings we don't do due to lasting damage, initial risk or low chance of fully healing.

We also do not offer bridge piercings, nor cheeks unless you are a very experienced piercee and fit a list of requirements.

Some piercings are usually viable but a person's anatomy may not allow for it- for example, navel, nipple, forward helix, rook, anti tragus, industrial, tongue, and more, require a quick anatomy consult prior to selecting jewellery. If your anatomy isn't suited to a traditional version of what you're enquiring about we can suggest viable alternatives.

Our second piercer, Jason, has a regular schedule so we can now offer penile piercings (PA, reverse PA, Frenum, Lorum etc) strictly by appointment with Jason as the service provider. Both Jess and Jason are proficient in vulva piercings VCH/HCH, Christina, labia minora/majora etc as well as all other body piercings so you will have a choice of piercer for everything except penile piercings.

Yes. Golden Fern is situated on the ground floor and is wheelchair accessible, however, The Shambles has no road and therefore no car access but is within 20m of disabled parking space (set satnav to 1 Church St BA15 1LN for that space).

Our reception and consultation area is an open, wheelchair-accessible space, the front door frame measures 74cm wide with a small step up of perhaps an inch-assistance and ramps can be provided.

Additionally, jewellery displays are wall-mounted but anything that is not easily viewable on higher shelves will gladly be moved for you for closer inspection during your appointment.

The piercing room is easily accessible and there is ample space for a chair in the room if transferring onto the piercing bed is uncomfortable or difficult and you'd rather remain in your chair (note: we are unable to directly assist with transfers).

Absolutely! It is not unhygienic or unsafe though it does sometimes complicate things. It's advised to wear an internal item like tampon or cup but this is not a rule or a necessity as we understand not everyone can/wants to but pads can harbour bacteria and free bleeding will mean the piercing will need to be cleaned more regularly therefore not as ideal.

A notable con of getting pierced whilst menstruating is that it has the possibility to hurt more than it might do normally and feel a bit more draining but that is your choice.

Bradford-on-Avon is a beautiful, quaint, English village with a lively centre. Much like nearby Bath, there is seldom on-street parking and driving around can be quite time consuming. We advise parking at either the Train station or St Margaret's Hall (next to station) and take the idyllic 5 minute walk over the River Avon (look left for swans) to our studio on The Shambles. After crossing the bridge over the river, turn left at the roundabout, walking up the narrow pavement then turn right at the large, gold post box, next to The Dandy Lion (pub), we are #3, directly opposite Opticians and there is a large logo displayed on the door.

You will find most answers in FAQ or Booking Policy section but if you've read both and still have an unanswered question please head to the form on the Contact page and send a message.