Les bijoux en vermeil étant composés de deux métaux précieux (or et argent), il est généralement considéré comme plus proche de la haute joaillerie et a tendance à tomber dans la catégorie « demi-fine ». Plus le poids en carats et l'épaisseur de la couche d'or sont élevés, plus la pièce sera généralement chère et précieuse. Cependant, if a vermeil ring or necklace only has the minimum layer of gold, it’s likely to start wearing away soon after purchase. At the very least, a thinly plated vermeil place will need a replating every so often.
Essentiellement, gold plated jewelry is the same thing as vermeil jewelry, only the base metal is of a lower quality than silver, such as copper or brass. In contrast to vermeil, there are no specific requirements for gold plated jewelry. The gold can be of any quality, and the electroplated layer can be any thickness.
En général, unless specified otherwise, gold plated jewelry is usually going to have lower quality gold and a thinner gold layer. À cause de ça, as a consumer, it’s important to pay close attention to the jewelry’s quality if it’s listed as gold plated. While it does have a layer of gold, this doesn’t necessarily mean the jewelry is high-quality and durable!