When I was designing Lilith and Selene's first collection, I wanted to give you all high quality jewellery that used only precious metals and gorgeous gemstones. My first thought was to use solid gold, however the price made me think otherwise - I wanted to keep our jewellery as accessible as possible. I then started to look at traditional gold plating. Personally, I find gold plating lasts a matter of weeks before the base metal begins to shine through (usually brass or stainless steel) or started to tarnish. That was not the high quality finish I was wanting for Lilith and Selene. Our collection had to wear well, look gorgeous and feel like luxury.
What's the difference?
During my research I found out about Gold Vermeil. Basically, Gold Vermeil is a super thick gold plating. I know, I know, I said I wanted to stay away from gold plating, but for something to be classed as Gold Vermeil it has to possess a couple of features.
- Gold plating much be a minimum of 2.5 microns ( compared to standard gold plating is usually only 0.5 microns)
- Base metal must be sterling silver
- Gold used must be 14k or higher (we only use 18k gold for that high quality finish)
Why did we chose to use Gold Vermeil?
We decided to go with gold vermeil to craft our jewellery in, over solid gold or standard gold plating, due to the durability and affordability. Gold Vermeil allows for the best of both world, the middle ground shall we say.
Looked after well, your gold vermeil jewellery should last a very long time. Worn daily, you may see wear on the gold in 6 months. To prolong it's life make sure you keep it away from water, chemicals, lotions and perfumes. When not being worn, store your jewellery in an airtight container and away from direct sunlight - air and sunlight can cause the sterling silver base metal to tarnish through the gold layer. Gently clean with a soft microfiber cloth to get rid of any dirt only when needed.
I personally test out each and every item of jewellery in our collection and at the time of writing this, I have had my jewellery for almost a full year and with almost daily wear, photoshoots, content creation it is all still in perfect condition.
If you have any more questions about gold vermeil, how to store and care for your jewellery or if you would like any recommendations on good jewellery boxes then feel free to email me at hello@lilithandselene.com and I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Shop our full Gold Vermeil Collection here