Gold Filled vs Sterling Silver vs Vermeil: What to Tell Your Customers
The most common question at a jewelry booth is some version of "will this turn my skin green?" Here is how to answer it for each metal we carry.
Sterling silver
Sterling silver is 92.5% pure silver and 7.5% copper. The copper is there as a hardener, because pure silver is too soft to hold up as a ring. It is the standard for fine silver jewelry, the whitest of the common jewelry metals, and considered hypoallergenic. It can tarnish slowly with time and skin chemistry, which is normal and polishes off. Our sterling silver toe rings and thumb rings are solid sterling all the way through.
14K gold filled
Gold filled is not plating. It is a federally regulated construction: a thick layer of 14K gold, 5% of the piece by weight, mechanically bonded to a brass core. Because the gold layer is so much thicker than plating, it does not flake or wear through with normal use; with everyday wear, gold filled lasts two to four years on average. It has no nickel and is considered hypoallergenic. It is the next best thing to solid 14K gold at a fraction of the cost, which is why our gold filled toe rings and thumb rings sell so well next to sterling. Rose gold filled is the same construction with a rose-toned 14K alloy.
Gold vermeil
Vermeil is sterling silver with a gold finish over it. The base is real sterling, so it carries the same hypoallergenic qualities as our silver line, with a gold look at a lower price than gold filled. We use it for gold vermeil and rose gold vermeil anklets, where the chain is worn loosely and the finish holds up well. Tell customers to take vermeil off for swimming and to store it dry.
Two tone
Our two tone toe rings and thumb rings braid or wrap sterling silver and 14K gold filled wire together in one band. They are the easy answer for the customer who cannot decide, or who wears silver on one hand and gold on the other.
The short version for the counter
Sterling: real silver, hypoallergenic, may tarnish, polishes back. Gold filled: real gold layer, no flaking, hypoallergenic, lasts years. Vermeil: sterling underneath, gold finish on top, best for anklets and lighter wear. More questions are answered in our wholesale FAQ.