Refining gear in Forsaken World is the primary way to enhance the power of your equipment, as well as your character as a whole. Refining takes place at the town blacksmith and requires you to have some specific items to begin.
First, you need to have refining crystals known as Star Shards. Star Shards come in various grades, with lower grades used to refine lower level items, while higher grades for higher level items. You can obtain star shards by killing monsters, completing quests, events, and dungeons, or by purchasing them out of the Eyrda Boutique.
You can use up to eight Star Shards per refining attempt. The more Star Shards you use, the better your percentage of success will be. If you succeed a refining attempt, your item will gain a level of refine level, which will boost its base stats. Additionally, every third refining level will unlock a gem socket. The maximum refining level is +12.
Failing to refine an item will have no penalty on your item besides the loss of the refining materials. Your item will not break, disappear, or degrade in fortification level upon failing.