Vermeil

Vermeil, a French word which came into use in the English language, mostly in America, in the 19th century as an alternative for the usual term silver-gilt,[1] is a combination of sterling silver, gold, and other precious metals. It is commonly used as a component in jewelry. A typical example is sterling silver coated with 14 carat (58%) gold. To be considered vermeil, the gold must be at least 10 carat (42%) and be at least 2.5 micrometres thick. In the US, sterling silver covered with a base metal (such as nickel) and plated with gold cannot be sold as vermeil without disclosing that it contains base metal.
Vermeil can be produced by either fire gilding or electrolysis. The original fire-gilding process was developed in France in the mid-1700s; however, France later banned the production of vermeil because over time artisans developed blindness due to mercury involved in the process. Today, vermeil is safely produced by electrolysis.

At Skanda, we also carry a selection of Gold Filled items. Gold Filled articles are very similar to gold plated; they have an exterior of gold and a base metal core. The difference is in the method of application. Gold Filled Jewellery is made by joining layers (under heat and pressure) of a 10k or higher gold to a base metal. The base metal has a 0.025 mm of gold bonded to its surface. This layer of Gold must be a minimum of 1/20th of the total metal weight to be called Gold Filled.