Everything about vermeil depends on what is underneath, and underneath is sterling. Georg Jensen Vintage Bangles with Black Agate, sterling silver
Vermeil, pronounced ver-may, is gold over sterling silver. That is the whole definition, and the silver is the part that matters. Ordinary gold plating puts a film of gold over brass, nickel or steel; vermeil puts it over a precious metal, which changes what happens when the gold eventually wears, changes what the piece is worth as material, and changes whether it will turn your finger green. It is the only plated construction I would tell anyone to buy deliberately.
What the word actually promises
In the United States the term is regulated, and to be sold as vermeil a piece must meet three conditions: the base must be sterling silver, the gold must be at least 10 karat, and the layer must be at least 2.5 microns thick. A micron is a thousandth of a millimetre, so 2.5 microns still sounds like nothing, but set it against ordinary electroplating at 0.5 microns and the difference is a factor of five. Elsewhere the rules are looser and the word is used more freely, which is why the useful question to a seller is not "is it vermeil" but "what is the base metal and how thick is the gold".
Vermeil against the alternatives
| Construction | Base metal | Gold layer | What happens as it wears |
|---|---|---|---|
| Solid gold | None, it is gold | All the way through | Nothing. It gets thinner over a century |
| Gold filled | Brass | 1/20 of the weight, bonded | Decades of wear before brass shows |
| Vermeil | Sterling silver | 2.5 microns minimum | Silver appears at the wear points |
| Gold plated | Brass, nickel, steel | 0.5 microns typically | Base metal shows within months |
The line in that table that decides everything is the last column. When plated brass wears through you get a grey-yellow patch of base metal and often a green mark on the skin, for the reasons set out in why jewelry turns skin green. When vermeil wears through you get silver, which is a perfectly good metal to be wearing, looks intentional rather than broken, and can be replated onto a base that is worth replating.
How long it lasts, honestly
A vermeil ring worn every day will show silver at the back of the shank within a year or two, because that is where a ring rubs. A vermeil chain or earring worn occasionally can look untouched for a decade. Nothing rubs a pendant. The rule is mechanical rather than mysterious: gold wears where friction is, so rings and bracelets go first, necklaces and earrings last longest.
You can extend it considerably. Take it off before washing hands, swimming and sleeping. Keep perfume and hairspray away, since both attack the surface. Wipe with a soft dry cloth rather than a silver polishing cloth, which is abrasive by design and will take the gold off faster than wearing it will. Never use silver dip on vermeil, which is the single most common way people destroy it in a minute.
When it is worth buying, and when it is not
Vermeil earns its place in two situations. When the design is more important than the metal, a large statement piece in solid gold would cost thousands and be too heavy to wear anyway. And when someone wants gold colour with a silver allergy history, since sterling avoids the nickel that causes most reactions, as covered in the hypoallergenic guide.
It is not worth buying as an investment, and it is not worth paying a premium for the word. A vermeil chain has the material value of a silver chain, which is real but modest. If a piece is being priced as though the gold matters, ask what the gold weighs, and watch the answer disappear.
The other end of the argument. Solid gold has no layer to wear off, which is why an eighty-year-old band still looks like this. Antique Wedding Band, 23K gold, 1941
Reading a listing
Words that mean gold over silver: vermeil, silver gilt, gilt sterling, gold over sterling. Words that mean gold over base metal: gold plated, GP, gold tone, gold finish, flash plated, 18K gold plated, which describes the colour of the plating and not the piece. Words that mean solid gold: a fineness mark, 375, 585, 750, 916, or a karat mark, and nothing else does. If a listing avoids stating the base metal at all, that silence is the answer.
Frequently asked questions
Is vermeil real gold?
The gold layer is real gold, at least 10 karat and at least 2.5 microns thick under the American standard. The piece is not solid gold: underneath it is sterling silver.
Does vermeil tarnish?
The gold does not, but the silver beneath can once the gold wears through at edges and friction points, showing as a darker patch that polishes off the silver but not back into gold.
How long does vermeil last?
On rings and bracelets, one to three years of daily wear before silver shows at rub points. On pendants and earrings, often a decade or more, since nothing abrades them.
Is vermeil better than gold plated?
Considerably. The gold layer is around five times thicker, and when it does wear you reach sterling silver rather than brass or nickel.
Can vermeil be replated?
Yes, and it is worth doing, because the silver underneath is a good base. Any competent jeweler can regild it for a modest sum.
Will vermeil turn my finger green?
Very rarely. Green marks come from copper in base metal alloys; sterling contains some copper but far less exposure, and the gold layer sits over it.
Is vermeil hypoallergenic?
Usually, since sterling silver contains no nickel, which causes the great majority of metal allergies. Ordinary plated jewelry frequently has a nickel base.
Read next: Hollow vs solid gold · What does 925 mean? · What metals are hypoallergenic?
Line Evelin
