There’s a big difference between these three.
Some jewelry lovers assume the terms vermeil, gold plated and gold filled are interchangeable, but these jewelry categories actually vary in very important ways. بالطبع, each type has a gold layer on the surface, so it’s easy to confuse them. While the presence of gold definitely makes each type more valuable and durable than costume jewelry, you’ll want to carefully consider the qualities of each before choosing which to add to your wardrobe.
أولاً, let’s go over the basic definitions of each, and then we’ll compare them and explore how you can decide which is the best for you.
Vermeil Jewelry
فيرميل, also known as “silver gilt”, refers to high quality (pure or sterling) silver that is plated with a thin layer of gold. Most vermeil jewelry available now is created by electroplating the silver with gold, a chemical process that uses an electrical current to bind the two metals together.
In order to be considered as true vermeil jewelry in the US, the piece has to meet certain qualifications. For instance, the gold on the piece needs to be at least 2.5 ميكرون سميكة, and at least 10k or higher.
Gold Plated Jewelry
Gold plated jewelry is a brass, copper, or low-end metal electroplated with a layer of gold. Usually less expensive than vermeil, gold plated jewelry doesn’t require any minimum karat weight or thickness. That being said, a gold plated piece can potentially be more valuable than a vermeil piece if it has a high gold karat weight (20 or 22k) and a thick layer of gold.
Gold Filled Jewelry
Unlike vermeil and gold plated jewelry, gold filled jewelry has a much thicker layer of gold over the base metal, sometimes as much as 100% thicker. This makes a big difference in terms of the jewelry’s ability to resist wear and tear long term. Although the base metal is usually brass or another low-end material, it would be hard to tell the difference between “real” gold and a gold filled piece.