There are a lot of different metals out there, and sometimes it can be confusing when trying to tell the difference. Vermeil (pronounced vur-may) is a heavy gold plate over sterling silver. A typical example is sterling silver plated with 14 carat (58%) gold. In order for an item to be considered vermeil, the gold must be at least 10 carat (42%) and be a minimum of 2.5 microns thick. In the US, sterling silver covered with a base metal, or any other plain base metal, plated with gold cannot be sold as vermeil.
Vermeil is produced by coating sterling silver with carat gold using the process of electrolysis -- an electricity in an acid bath -- to attach the gold to sterling. This 2.5 micron (100 millionths of an inch) thick layer of gold is significantly heavier than the gold applied to base metal using an electroplating process (only 0.175 microns or 7 millionths of an inch), and is therefore much more durable.
Any of Night Fox's silver pieces can be done in vermeil. So if you are wondering whether a vermeil piece is worth the investment, be assured that you will have a lovely, high quality piece that can last for generations.
Sources: Wikipedia, Red Sky Plating, BondedInfo.com
Vermeil is produced by coating sterling silver with carat gold using the process of electrolysis -- an electricity in an acid bath -- to attach the gold to sterling. This 2.5 micron (100 millionths of an inch) thick layer of gold is significantly heavier than the gold applied to base metal using an electroplating process (only 0.175 microns or 7 millionths of an inch), and is therefore much more durable.
Any of Night Fox's silver pieces can be done in vermeil. So if you are wondering whether a vermeil piece is worth the investment, be assured that you will have a lovely, high quality piece that can last for generations.
Sources: Wikipedia, Red Sky Plating, BondedInfo.com
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