2018 FTC Vermeil Update
2018 FTC Vermeil Update
The thickness threshold that re-anchored an old French term in modern American practice
Within the broader 2018 revision of the United States Federal Trade Commission's Guides for the Jewelry, Precious Metals, and Pewter Industries, the section governing the term vermeil received a targeted but consequential update. The change clarified the gold-thickness floor required before a piece may be marketed under that name in the United States and brought American practice into closer dialogue with European hallmarking traditions.
What vermeil is
Vermeil is a French term for sterling silver coated in a substantial layer of gold. Historically associated with eighteenth-century Parisian goldsmiths and ecclesiastical plate, it occupies a category between solid karat gold and conventional gold plate. The fundamental composition has two requirements: the underlying metal must be sterling silver of at least 925 fineness, and the gold layer must meet a defined minimum thickness and karat.
The revised threshold
Under the 2018 guides, an article marketed as vermeil in the United States must have a sterling silver substrate and a gold coating of at least 2.5 microns in thickness applied to all significant surfaces. The minimum karat fineness for the gold layer is 10 karat, although vermeil at 14k, 18k, and higher remains common in better houses. The 2.5-micron requirement, which had been part of FTC practice for decades but was reaffirmed and clarified in the 2018 revision, distinguishes vermeil decisively from ordinary gold plate, where surface layers as thin as 0.175 microns are common.
Why the clarification mattered
In the years before the revision, the rise of fashion jewellery sold through e-commerce had produced a great deal of inconsistent labelling. Pieces with very thin gold flash on silver were occasionally marketed as vermeil, and the term had begun to lose definitional discipline in the American consumer market. The Commission's 2018 language reaffirmed that vermeil is not a marketing flourish but a defined material category with measurable thresholds.
The 2018 commentary also addressed flash plating and electroplated finishes specifically, noting that articles failing the 2.5-micron threshold should be described accurately as gold-plated sterling silver rather than vermeil. The Commission considered the thickness requirement appropriate because vermeil is generally expected to wear durably under ordinary use, where conventional plating is not.
European context
French and broader European usage of vermeil long pre-dates American codification. Hallmarking conventions in France require a minimum gold thickness for the poinçon of vermeil, with national assay practice setting a comparable threshold. The 2018 American update narrowed the gap between French traditional practice and American disclosure law, although it did not adopt European hallmarking enforcement, which operates through compulsory state assay rather than principles-based guides.
Industry response
Established American makers of vermeil, particularly those producing flatware, ecclesiastical work, and bridal accessories, broadly welcomed the clarification. Boutique and direct-to-consumer brands selling lower-thickness products had to relabel inventory or upgrade their plating specifications. By 2020 the 2.5-micron 10k floor had become the de facto industry standard among reputable American sellers, and most national chain retailers had revised their own internal vendor manuals to match.
In the trade
For specifiers and buyers, the practical takeaway is straightforward. Vermeil should mean sterling silver with a gold layer of at least 2.5 microns at 10 karat or finer. Any article failing those thresholds is gold-plated silver, not vermeil. Skyjems' position, in line with most established Canadian and American houses, is to specify 14k or 18k vermeil at 2.5 microns minimum and to disclose plating thickness on request.