Vermeil (pronounced “vermay”) refers to a sterling silver piece that has been coated with a heavy layer of gold. This is done by putting a negative charge on the sterling silver piece, and then immersing it in a positively charged solution that contains gold in a suspended state.

We abide by the definitions set forth by the Federal Trade Commission, whose standards require at least 100 millionths of an inch (or 2.5 microns) of gold of at least 10k fineness (we use gold of 24k fineness) to be deposited onto a piece in order to use the term “vermeil.” Standard gold electroplating requires 7 millionths of an inch (or .175 microns), so vermeil is a layer of gold that is more than 14 times thicker than that.