# What is vermeil? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 8, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-vermeil/355980 "2006-05-08T23:03:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wisp00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/977dab/32.png) [@Wisp00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisp00)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-vermeil/355980/1 "2006-05-08T23:03:31Z")
In reference to jewelry, what is vermeil? Does it (or could it) contain any nickel? ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-vermeil/355980/2 "2006-05-08T23:11:33Z")
I thought it was just a variation of vermilion, the bright red colour - caused, I think, by some sort of mercury compound. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [May 8, 2006, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-vermeil/355980/3 "2006-05-08T23:20:27Z")
Vermeil is a mixture of silver and gold, but I don’t know what proportions are typically used. However, it should have sufficient gold to lend a golden color rather than the silvery tone of white gold. ---
**Author:** ![Wisp00](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/977dab/32.png) [@Wisp00](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wisp00)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-vermeil/355980/4 "2006-05-09T03:36:55Z")
Is it generally a plating? Will it come off? (I’ve seen this on cheaper jewelry) I also ask about nickel because I’m allergic to it… ---
**Author:** ![Gaudere](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e495f1/32.png) [@Gaudere](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gaudere)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-vermeil/355980/5 "2006-05-09T06:34:24Z")
Vermeil is a plating of (from 14k to 24k) gold over sterling silver. It probably will wear off eventually if it’s a light plate and something like a chain, but be OK for earrings or low usage items. If you haven’t had a reaction to sterling and the karatage of gold used for plating, it should not affect your allergies. ---
**Author:** ![Zabali\_Clawbane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/ecd19e/32.png) [@Zabali\_Clawbane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zabali_Clawbane)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-vermeil/355980/6 "2006-05-09T06:42:30Z")
Here is the [definition](http://encarta.msn.com/dictionary_1861733852_1861733865/nextpage.html). It is usually gilded silver, but it can apparently also be copper or bronze as well. I think that when referring to jewelry that is vermeil they mean gilded silver though. ---
**Author:** ![Scarlett67](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scarlett67/32/7387_2.png) [@Scarlett67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scarlett67)\ **Post date:** [May 9, 2006, 3:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-vermeil/355980/7 "2006-05-09T15:43:36Z")
[QUOTE=Gaudere] Vermeil is a plating of (from 14k to 24k) gold over sterling silver. It probably will wear off eventually if it’s a light plate and something like a chain, but be OK for earrings or low usage items. If you haven’t had a reaction to sterling and the karatage of gold used for plating, it should not affect your allergies. [/QUOTE] This is correct. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver and 7.5% copper. I seem to recall reading once that the 7.5% can also contain other metals, but I’m not finding a cite for that right now. One of my jewelers’ supply catalogs does recommend sterling for people with severe nickel allergies. Acoording to my Rio Grande catalog (major jewelers’ supply), standard plating is 2 millionths of an inch, compared to the FTC standard of 100 millionths of an inch for vermeil. It should not be machine polished, however. Gold-filled is a thicker layer of gold over a brass core. It’s measured not by thickness but by weight. 14/20 gold filled means 14K gold in a ratio of 1/20 to the brass core by weight. That brass core may very well contain nickel, but the layer of gold over it would be thicker. Most references I’ve seen say that gold-filled should be as safe for people with allergies as the same karat gold.