Pronounced “vermay,” vermeil gold is the way heavy 14K or higher gold that is electroplated over sterling silver is officially designated by the industry. Items may only be marked or sold as vermeil if they have a minimum thickness of 100 millionths of an inch of gold or 2.5 microns of gold.

Gold plating is an electrolytic process in which a gold coating of at least 10K gold with a minimum thickness is affixed to all surfaces.

Gold-filled jewelry consists of a layer of 10K gold or better mechanically bonded to the surfaces of a base (non-precious) metal. This layer of 10K gold must be a minimum of 1/20th of the total metal weight to be called gold filled.

Over time, gold plating and vermeil will wear off, requiring re-plating.

Ouro Verde:

Meaning “green gold” in Portuguese, ouro verde is a type of quartz found in Brazil. Its name comes from its color, which is a vivid chartreuse hue with yellow highlights. Most ouro verde today is produced by heat-treating (irradiating) amethyst or yellow quartz, which gives the transparent stone its pale, golden-green color. Also known as green gold, the name of this gem can also be spelled “oro verde.” It ranks a 7.0 on the Mohs Scale and is spectacular for jewelry.