While vermeil is sometimes confused with gold plating, and shares certain characteristics, it is not. It is much more durable, desirable, and higher in quality. When making a purchase, you should consider the thickness, base metal and composition.

Vermeil Characteristics

Vermeil is any material that uses a gold finish. It is usually comprised of a thick gold layer and sterling silver. Industrial standards mandate that its gold portion has to be ten karats or higher for the piece to be called vermeil within the United States. However, in practice, most vermeil jewelry features fourteen, eighteen or twenty four karats depending on jewelry thickness.

It is this thickness that truly separates vermeil from standard gold plating. Because vermeil has higher requirements, it is far more durable. The benefit of this is that buyers get to enjoy many of the benefits of pure gold without having to pay the high price tag. Visually, vermeil is identical to gold. It can be polished and shined to provide a lovely gloss, or allowed to tarnish so that it appears vintage. Vermeil is thinner than most pure gold jewelry and its golden layer is constructed through the usage of a gold powder or leaf rather than gold sheets.

How Else Does Vermeil Differ From Gold Plating?

With gold plating, practically any metal may be used for the base. This metal will often consist of cheap metals like brass or steel. Additionally, the gold may be of multiple purity levels. The cheaper metal will be dipped in the gold to produce a thin gold layer but over time the coating will wear down, leaving the jewelry exposed with its cheaper base.

While vermeil isn’t pure gold, it is much better than gold plating. It is best thought of as a midway between plating and solid gold. Instead of using cheaper metals, it uses sterling silver with higher levels of gold. Yellow gold is usually the variant of choice for vermeil, but some jewelry is sold with Hamilton or pink gold.

It should also be noted that vermeil is produced through a process called electroplating, which is accomplished with two techniques. The first is micron plating, where the thickness of the gold layer is measured. The second is flash plating, where gold is briefly dropped inside an electroplating solution, and is then used to as a coating for the jewelry piece. This is the technique most commonly used in gold plating.

Caring For Vermeil

Vermeil can be adversely affected by perfumes, pollen and dust. If the jewelry is not properly cared for, it will lose its gloss. When wearing perfume, be sure to apply it before you put on the jewelry. You’ll also want to take it off before getting into the shower or bath tub. The jewelry should never be exposed to hot water, chemicals, and most household cleaning solutions. Chlorine can severely damage the surface and the same is true of bleach.