Vermeil Silver or also called Vermeil Gold consists of 925 thousandth Silver Jewelry covered with 10, 14 or 18 carat gold and with a layer of at least 2 microns using a gold coating electrolysis technique. We tell you what it is, its characteristics and advantages.
What are Silver Vermeil jewels?
To qualify a silver jewelry as Silver Vermeil, the pieces must meet certain requirements:
- The base must be 925 thousandth silver.
- It cannot be covered with any other metal before the gold layer is applied.
- Finally, this layer of gold with which the silver is covered must be at least two microns thick.
Regarding the percentage of gold with which the silver is covered, it happens as with gold pieces, a higher number of carats means a piece of jewelry with a higher gold content. Vermeil Silver can be created using 10, 14 or 18 karat gold.
You can find Gold-coated Silver in different gold finishes: yellow, white, pink and tri-color.
At VICTORIA DE LA CALVA JOYAS , the Silver Vermeil Jewels are covered with 3 microns of 18-carat gold.
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Advantages of Silver Vermeil jewelry
Vermeil Silver is comparable to sterling gold in its appearance and quality. Due to its primary composition of silver, Gold Plated Silver is much more affordable than sterling gold. Since, by definition, it cannot contain other metals, Gold Plated Silver jewelry can be worn comfortably and safely by those with nickel allergies or sensitivity to other metals.
Yellow Vermeil Silver Ear Cuff Earrings 8 Satellites |
Rose Vermeil Silver Pendant with Amethysts- Three Treasures |
How to care for gold plated jewelry
Gold-coated Silver Jewelry will last you many years without losing its shine and without the layer of gold wearing out if you take care of it properly. You should avoid wearing Silver Vermeil jewelry in the bath, shower, or while swimming.
There is no machine to polish this type of jewelry (work normally done by a jeweler), since this process can wear away the gold layer. Use a soft, clean, lint-free cloth to remove dirt.
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Differences between Vermeil and gold plated or bathed
Gold plating or bathing is the term used to describe the electrolysis process that they do to jewelry made of any common non-precious metal, such as Brass, Nickel, copper, with a thin layer of gold. On the other hand, in Vermeil Silver, the covering layer is thicker and is made on a precious metal such as sterling silver or 925 silver. Generally, gold-plated pieces are marked by these initials GP, RGP, GEP, HGP or HGE, immediately after the carats. Gold-coated Silver Jewelry may carry a distinctive symbol that says 925, to denote the purity of the silver. The commercial value of a Silver Vermeil jewel, compared to the plated piece, is higher, because they are made solely and exclusively of precious metal such as silver.
History about the coating technique of Jewels
Around 1750, a technique for coating gold on pieces of silver was discovered in France. This technique was called Gold Vermeil or Silver Vermeil. They discovered that, by using high temperatures and mercury, gold adhered to silver. However, in the process, the mercury was vaporized; and this caused blindness to many goldsmiths. For this reason, in 1800 the use of this technique was prohibited.
Over time, the electrolysis process began to be used, which is a totally safe system, to achieve the coating of gold on silver jewelry.