I en nøddeskal, Vermeil (French for silver, udtales ver-maj) refers to a variety of gold-coated metal. For metal to be considered vermeil, it needs to meet three main trade criteria:
The base of the metal must be of sterling (92.5%) or fine (99.9%) sølv. This is why vermeil is also known by its other names: Silver Gilt or Gilded Silver
The purity of the gold must be of at least 10 karat
The thickness of the gold coat should consist of a minimum of 2.5 Mikron (0.0025 millimeter)
If these three criteria are not met, then the metal becomes gold-filled or gold-plated (more on this later). You can also find gold vermeil in other colors such as rose gold, Hamilton gold and so on. The color you choose depends on your preferences.
While gold vermeil is popularly used in jewelry, it is a versatile metal and has its other uses as well. Et godt eksempel er Vermeil Room i Det Hvide Hus. Dette berømte værelse indeholder en vinkøler og service, alt sammen lavet af vermeil. Du vil blandt andet finde vermeil, der bruges i inventar og møbler. Også, mange sportstrofæer og alle olympiske guldmedaljer er alle lavet af guldvermeil.
Guldvermeil var en populær victoriansk æra-funktion og blev meget brugt i smykker, service og andre ting.