What Is Gold Vermeil?

Gold vermeil is real gold layered over sterling silver. Both metals are precious. That is the whole definition, and it is a legal one: in the United States, a piece can only be called vermeil if the base is sterling silver and the gold layer meets a minimum thickness.

The word is French, pronounced ver-MAY.

What it is made of

Two things. A core of 925 sterling silver, the same alloy fine jewelry has been made from for centuries. And a substantial layer of gold bonded to it. Nothing hollow, no mystery metal underneath.

This is the standard every gold SEVORR piece is built to. The silver is real, the gold is real, and if you ever wear through to the base, you are standing on silver, not brass.

How it compares

Solid gold is wonderful and priced accordingly. Regular gold plating usually means a very thin layer of gold over brass or another base metal; it can look right on day one and give up quickly. Vermeil sits between the two: real precious metal all the way through, at a price that makes daily wear reasonable. There is a longer comparison in Gold Vermeil vs. Gold Plated.

How it wears

Vermeil is made for regular wear. It asks only a little: keep it away from chlorine and perfume, and store it in its pouch. Real metal responds to care, and the routine takes seconds. The habits are on our Jewelry Care page, and the standards behind every piece are on Our Materials.