Gold Vermeil

It has always been a priority for us to use high-quality materials. Coming from a background in traditional silver and goldsmithing, as our father did, we understand the importance of using pure, solid silver and gold.

The term "vermeil" refers to gold plating over silver rather than a base metal. It also specifies that the item is plated with a minimum of 2.5 microns of gold. This term has been around for a long time; however, with the growth of the jewellery industry, it’s been more commonly used by jewellers to accurately differentiate their gold-plated collections from those using a base metal.

While this change in terminology is new here at Zoë & Morgan, our commitment to quality remains the same as what you know and trust. We continually strive to uphold our ethical values and bring you designs that come from the heart to reflect all that we love about this world.

22 karat gold displays a lustrous, warm shine and in ancient Peruvian culture has been referred to as the sweat of the sun. Through the process of electromagnetic plating, sterling silver jewellery is coated in 22k gold and is bound to the piece in a specific micron or thickness.

We’re a family run business and our gold vermeil process is carried out by Zoë’s husband Teia, who has been in the plating industry for six years. His dedication to perfecting this process reflects the care and love we pour into every piece we create. 

Teia conducts a gentle and calculated process where each piece is carefully wired and evenly distributed. The sometimes thousands of pieces are then washed in gentle cleaning solutions four times to ensure a smooth and lustrous finish. 

The jewellery is then placed into the gold solution, where the process of electromagnetic plating occurs. Gold vermeil is measured in microns; the longer the pieces remain in the solution, the higher their micron count.

Our earrings are plated at 2.5 microns, necklaces at 3 microns, and rings at 5 microns. Teia calculates and observes the time spent to ensure all pieces meet the micron requirements. Attentiveness is shown in the process through the care of ensuring each piece is evenly coated, rotating the jewellery at the halfway mark and finishing with a cold water bath. He spends the time to carefully unwire each piece to deliver back to us here at our City Works Depot HQ.

We then spend time processing the pieces by threading butterflies, sizing rings and placing them into safe holding bags before they make it to their forever home.