What does VERMEIL mean on jewelry?
VERMEIL means Sterling base, gold layer (Sterling silver + gold). Partial — low value
Worth the silver underneath. The gold layer adds little to scrap value but a lot to appearance.
What the mark tells you
Vermeil is sterling silver with a gold layer of at least 2.5 microns. Legally it must have a real silver base — that is what separates it from plating.
You may also see it written as verm, gold vermeil. They all mean the same thing.
What VERMEIL is worth by weight
A little, but rarely enough to sell. Gold-filled pieces are 5% gold by weight at most, bonded to a brass core; a 10 g piece holds perhaps half a gram of gold, and most refiners set a minimum batch well above that. Vermeil is sterling silver underneath, which is worth scrap silver — about $1.46 per gram today.
Is it worth anything?
Worth the silver underneath. The gold layer adds little to scrap value but a lot to appearance.
Where to find it
On a ring the mark is almost always inside the band. On a chain or bracelet look at the clasp or the tag beside it; on earrings check the post or the back. Marks are tiny and often worn — a phone camera zoomed all the way in usually reads one better than your eye does.
A stamp is evidence, not proof
Marks wear down, are struck only partially, and are occasionally forged outright. If a piece is valuable enough to matter, have the metal tested rather than relying on the stamp alone. Equally, an absent stamp does not always mean an absent metal: older and handmade jewelry is frequently unmarked.
Found something real? Value it
If the piece is solid metal or holds a stone, see what it is actually worth — both at retail and what you would genuinely be offered for it.
Value my jewelry