Compare gold vermeil with solid gold using the base metal, gold layer, karat marking and construction. This tool is especially useful when a piece is marked 925, vermeil or another surface-application term.
See whether the evidence matches a vermeil construction.
Under U.S. FTC guidance, vermeil is a gold surface application over a sterling-silver base, with applicable requirements for gold karat and minimum thickness. The FTC's guidance specifies a minimum 2.5-micron gold thickness for vermeil under the relevant U.S. standard. 6
The visual appearance can be similar, but the construction and intrinsic gold content are fundamentally different.
A 925 mark commonly indicates sterling silver. That may appear on vermeil because sterling silver is the base underneath the gold layer. Therefore, “925” does not mean that the entire object is solid gold.
Vermeil is a specific category involving sterling silver beneath the gold layer. Ordinary gold plating can use other base metals. The distinction therefore depends on construction, not simply on the visual appearance of the gold surface.
Gold over a sterling-silver base meeting the applicable gold-karat and layer requirements.
No.
It commonly identifies the sterling-silver base.
At least 2.5 microns under the applicable FTC guidance.
No. The amount and construction of the gold differ.