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Vermeil (pronounced vur-MAY), also known as silver gilt, is a combination of sterling silver, gold, and other precious metals. It commonly used as a component in jewelry. A typical example is sterling silver coated with 14-carat gold. To be considered vermeil, the gold must also be at least 10-carat and be at least 1.5 micrometres thick. Sterling silver covered with another metal cannot be called vermeil. Our vermeil is 22 carat gold and is 2.5 micrometres thick. This makes for a lustrous finding, that sparkles with true fire and depth.
Vermeil can be produced by either fire-gilding or electrolysis. The original fire-gilding process was developed in France in the mid 1700s; however, France later banned the production of vermeil because over time artisans developed blindness due to mercury involved in the process. Today, vermeil is safely produced by electrolysis.
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