If you are talking about the luxury jewelry trend happening currently, vermeil is at the fore front.  What is vermeil? So many buyers have mistook vermeil piece as gold, this is because they look alike, since vermeil mainly appears in gold color, identifying it has become a problem. Vermeil jewelry is leading the trend in jewelry market right now as it strikes the balance between value and quality. There’s a slight confusion when it comes to identifying vermeil and gold plating jewelry. But as much as they share little aspect, there is still a big difference when it comes to quality, durability and desirability between them.So it is important when shopping for jewelry to know the difference between these two options. Checking out the jewelry composition, thickness and base metal will help you to determine if a piece of jewelry is vermeil or not.

Vermeil is a special type of gold finished material that constitutes a thick layer of gold over solid sterling silver. Before a piece a jewelry is considered a vermeil, industrial standard indicates that the gold portion must be at least 10karat or above. For higher quality piece of vermeil jewelry, the gold portion rang from 14, 18, or 24 karat depending on the thickness of the jewelry. The thickness of the vermeil is what differentiates it from simple gold plated piece. 

Vermeil is a perfect alternative for those who can’t afford pure gold jewelry as it look like gold to the necked eye. Maintenance can fall into two ways, either you shine it up to give a beautiful gloss or leave it to tarnish to give that vintage look. Vermeil is usually thinner in comparismto other gold jewelry, and its gold layer is achieved by using a gold leaf or powder instead of a sheet of gold. Another identifying factor for vermeil is that it must have a sterling base (instead of brass or cheaper metal). 

Is vermeil jewelry a solid gold?

Despite the fact that vermeil has a lot of gold than gold plated pieces, it is pretentious to understand that it is not gold. So it is simply a sterling silver with a layer of gold. Vermeil most popular color is yellow gold, but you also find the pieces in pink gold or Hamilton gold.

Vermeil jewelrypiece are made through electroplating process, electroplating of these piece can be done in two ways:

• Micron plating: the commonly used term for discussing the thicknessofgold plating is micron half micron (20 micro inches). This method involves measuring the thickness of the gold layer. Micron plating is used in making most of the vermeil jewelry, and watches.
• Flash plating: flash gold plating is when a trendy jewelry is given a very thin coating of gold just enough to give the piece a color and an even finish. It is commonly used to plate costumejewellery or displayed items.  This can be an ideal way of plating displayed items at lower cost. In flash plating process, the gold is dipped into the electroplating solution for a short time, simultaneously the gold ends up coating the piece. This method is  common in gold plating industries. So whenever you are purchasing a piece of jewelry, it is important to keep these details in mind to ensure that you get something worth your bucks.

How can we care for vermeil jewelry?

Knowledge of knowing what vermeil is all about is not enough without knowing how to take care of it. Particles like dust, pollution, perfume, and cosmetics can tarnish the surface of your jewelry and this is something you will certainly not feel comfortable with  happening.

• First it is advisable that you wear your perfume and cosmetics before wearing your jewelry and always remember to take them off before taking a shower.
• You should always try as much as possible to avoid yourvermeil collectionor any other jewelry close to clean hot water, and hash chemicals. Take off your piece before handling any of these solutions.
• Note that some chemicals can permanently damage the surface of your jewelry, chemicals like chlorine. It’s important you bear this in mind when using chlorine, bleach or before diving into a pool.
• Vermeil jewelry are to be stored in an airtight container to avoid contact with air which in turn prevent oxidation 
• Clean cotton or micro fiber cloth are perfect materials you can use to clean your jewelry to buff it gently, don’t be tempted to clean with chemicals as they wear off the gold finish.
• As the jewelry ages, its likely that the gold layer will tarnish. This is a common feature of jewelry and this natural property contributes a unique sense of character to the piece, so don’t be afraid when that happens.

How to buy a vermeil collection 

Jewelry is one of the things many wealthy people invest their moneyon, buying a piece of vermeil jewelry can also be a reasonable investment when you make the right choice. If taken care of very well, vermeil can last for decades. You must know how to buy jewelry if you want to invest well in it. 

• First is to have the knowledge that there are different gold products in the market when it comes to jewelry, this alone makes it easy to replicate this gold jewelry pieces. This replicated product is what you should look out for. There are lots of unreliable sellers or vendors who will take advantage of this and sell you a product that are not vermeil or even gold at all.
• Pricing is another important thing to consider. This is simple and easy to detect. If you are offered a piece of vermeil for a lower price than that of a gold plated piece or sterling silver, then that’s a red flag. But also it should not be as costly as solid gold piece. Request for the details of the pieces so you can compare and contrast the prices.
• Lastly, it is important you test the metal to be sure of what you are buying. This is because vermeil piece tend to look like real gold.

Conclusion: vermeil jewelry comes in necklace, bracelet, rings and earrings. They are adorable and area durable alternative to solid gold pieces. For individuals that are allergic to metals, vermeil jewelry is the perfect choice for you. It is important you find a trusted seller when looking to purchase a vermeil piece. When upgrading your jewelry box, Vermeil collection by Chvker is the one you must not overlook.