A Guide to Gold Vermeil Jewelry

On the ground floor of the White House in the USA is situated a vermeil room which houses some beautiful vermeil tableware.

Vermeil, pronounced 'ver may', is a type of jewelry, wherein silver is plated with gold. It contains gold plating over 925 sterling silver. The number 925 indicates that one piece contains 925 on thousand parts of silver. In terms of percentage, it can be expressed as 92.5%.

Gold coating over sterling silver gives this jewelry a yellowish color. Hence, it is sometimes referred to as yellow gold. The age-old process of gilding gold over silver at high temperatures for manufacturing this jewelry was discontinued mainly because mercury used in the process caused blindness in the craftsmen.

Hence, electrolysis, which is a much safer process, is now used to produce this jewelry.

Gold vermeil jewelry must not contain base metal other than silver. A certain level of thickness should be maintained for the gold plating. Jewelry made by plating base metals such as nickel, cannot be considered as gold vermeil jewelry.

The durability of this jewelry is based on the purity of gold (karats) and the thickness of the layer of gold plating over silver. The thicker and purer the gold plating, the longer is its durability.

Various types of gold plating can be done to the 925 sterling silver. In the U.S., silver must be coated with minimum 10 karat gold, and the coating thickness must not be less than 2.5 microns. Most manufacturers sell ornaments which have gold plating layer with a thickness of about 3 microns.

Gold vermeil jewelry is available in plethora of patterns as well as a wide price range. Their value is based on purity and thickness of gold plating. Gold-plated jewelry contains a thin layer of gold over a base metal. Gold-filled jewelry contains a much thicker layer of gold plating than gold-plated ones.

It has a higher price when compared to gold-plated ornaments of the same weight. This is because the base metal for it is silver, whereas the base metal for gold-plated jewelry is cheap metal. Vermeil, on the other hand, has a lower price than the gold-filled ornaments.

Your gold vermeil jewelry is one of the finest, prized possession you hold and requires to be taken good care of. This jewelry if not used properly, can permanently lose its color and luster.

✢ Handle the jewelry carefully to avoid abrasion.
✢ Avoid wearing it while working out, playing, or sleeping.

✢ Make it a point to take it off while doing dishes, cleaning, or bathing, as the chemicals in cleansing materials or soaps can stain or tarnish it.
✢ When not wearing the jewelry, place it in clean jewelry boxes. Do not place it with other jewelry to avoid scratches or wear and tear.

✢ Avoid wearing makeup or deodorants/perfumes after sporting the jewelry as the chemicals in them can react with these ornaments and tarnish them. Instead, wear makeup/perfumes prior to adorning it.
✢ Avoid wearing these ornaments while swimming as chlorine in the water can react and discolor vermeil.

Almost any type of jewelry demands care and attention. This jewelry if used frequently can attract residue or dust.

✢ Use a soft bristle brush to clean the jewelry. Using a brush helps clean ornaments that have an intricate design and a delicate structure.

✢ Use a clean polishing cloth to clean and lend a shine to the jewelry.

If cleaning it yourself seems trifle difficult, get it cleaned at ornament-cleaning centers provided by the seller.

✢ Vermeil jewelry is more durable than gold-plated jewelry. Gold-plated jewelry wears off with time.

✢ Gold-plated jewelry has a thin coating of gold over the base metal, whereas vermeil comparatively has a thicker layer of gold over its base metal, sterling silver (thickness of gold plating less than 2.5 microns is considered as gold-plated jewelry.)

✢ This jewelry is stronger than gold-plated pieces of similar weight. Thus, it is durable and has a longer life.

Besides being cheaper than pure gold jewelry, these ornaments give a trendy and fashionable look to the wearer. They last a lifetime, if taken good care of. In the U.S., sterling silver plated initially with a base metal and subsequently with gold, cannot be sold as gold vermeil without revealing it to the buyer.

However, always make it a point to check the value of the thickness and purity of gold plating before buying to ensure a safe and quality deal.