What is Gold Vermeil Jewelry?

You’re shopping for a nice piece of jewelry that will last for years to come. Here’s what you need to know about these three classifications of fake gold jewelry.

Gold Vermeil Jewelry

The main characteristic of gold vermeil (pronounced “ver-may”) is that the underlying metal is mostly or exclusively silver. If there is nickel in the underlying metal, by law in the U.S., that fact must be disclosed (due to allergy concerns).

So this metal is then coated with gold using a method called electrolysis. The thickness of the gold by U.S. law must be at least 2.5 microns (0.0025 millimeters) and its purity should be at least 10 karats, or 41.67 per cent gold. The thickness and karat value of the coating determine the piece’s durability – how long it will last.

Gold-Filled and Gold-Plated Jewelry

Gold-filled and gold-plated jewelry can have a variety of different underlying metals. The difference in the two types is that gold-filled is thicker than gold-plated. This fact suggests that if you are looking for long-lasting jewelry, you may want to choose gold-filled over vermeil.

One final note about the allergy to nickel. Always ask about nickel content, whether you are buying vermeil, gold-filled or gold-plated jewelry.

Now you know more than the average shopper about these three types of gold jewelry and will be better prepared to discuss the merits of each with your jeweler.