Vermeil
ver·meil | ˈvər-məl
noun
Silver with gold plating
Vermeil is a process of gold plating silver, giving a piece of jewelry the look of gold jewelry without the cost of pure gold. Vermeil is also often referred to as “silver gilt” and involves the use of high quality pure or sterling silver with a carefully applied layer of gold over the top of it. The process involves electroplating the gold onto the silver, a chemical process to bind them together. In the United States there are specific rules about what can be labeled as “vermeil”. It must be 2.5 microns thick. The gold must be 10k or higher. Other techniques for applying gold to a piece of jewelry include gold plating and gold filling.