What does VERMEIL mean on jewelry?
Short answer
Vermeil: sterling silver with a gold layer (in the US, at least 10 karat and 2.5 microns). The metal that weighs is the silver.
A mark is a statement, not proof: it can be forged or struck on a plated piece. An assay confirms it (touchstone and acids, or X-ray fluorescence).
The stamp in detail
| Item | What the tables say |
|---|---|
| Stamp | VERMEIL |
| Class | Plated, filled or rolled coating |
| Silver fineness | 925 parts per thousand (92.5 % silver) |
| Legal standard (silver 925) | United Kingdom, Vienna Convention states, France, United States |
| Note | Sterling silver. |
| Source check | Checked against the sources listed below |
Is there any melt value?
The precious metal in a coating is a thin layer; the weight is mostly base metal.
If you still want to try numbers, the calculator does the sum for a stamped fineness. It will not compute one for a plated or filled stamp.
What VERMEIL can be mistaken for
Pieces that look like silver and are not:
- silver plate (EPNS)
- alpaca, nickel silver
- white gold and platinum
What a stamp cannot settle: Silver, white gold or platinum without marks: white colour does not tell them apart.
What settles it:
- Jeweller: acids or X-ray fluorescence.
Related stamps
Other ways the same fineness is stamped: 925, STERLING.
Also in this group: GF, 1/20 12K GF, RGP, GP, HGE, GEP, 18K GP, EPNS.
Frequently asked
What does VERMEIL mean on jewelry?
Vermeil: sterling silver with a gold layer (in the US, at least 10 karat and 2.5 microns). The metal that weighs is the silver.
Is a piece stamped VERMEIL worth melting?
The precious metal is a thin layer on base metal, so the melt value is very small.
Sources
- FTC Jewelry Guides, 16 CFR 23.4 (vermeil)
- Hallmarking Act 1973, Schedule 2 (revised text)
- Vienna Convention on precious metals, Technical Decisions Rev. 13 (in force 1 Oct 2026)
- Douane française, table of guarantee marks (2009)
- 15 U.S.C. § 296 (silver: sterling and coin)
All sources are listed with the method on the sources page.