Short answer. All three are real gold bonded to another metal; the difference is how much gold and what is underneath. Gold-plated is a thin electroplated layer over any base metal, thickness usually unstated. Gold vermeil is a defined standard: sterling silver underneath, 10-karat-or-better gold on top, at least 2.5 microns of it. Gold-filled is a thick sheet of gold mechanically bonded to brass, making up at least 5% of the piece by weight. Australia has no legal definition for any of them, so the useful skill is reading a material line, not trusting a word.
Why the words are loose here
The Australian Consumer Law stops a brand from misleading you about what a piece is made of. It does not say how thick a gold layer has to be before "vermeil" applies, or what "gold-plated" has to mean. There is no compulsory hallmarking in Australia either. So Australian brands borrow the American definitions, some of them precisely and some of them loosely, and the same word can mean two different things on two Australian websites.
So look past the words to the three things that decide how a piece will wear: the base metal, the karat, and the thickness of the gold.
The five terms, side by side
| Term | What is under the gold | How much gold | Standard behind it? | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Gold-plated | Brass, copper, stainless steel or sterling silver | Electroplated layer; commonly 0.1 to 2 microns; rarely stated | No thickness rule in Australia | Trend pieces; daily wear if the base is silver and the layer is stated |
| Gold vermeil | Sterling silver only | At least 2.5 microns of 10K-or-better gold | Yes: US FTC, 16 CFR 23.4. Borrowed in Australia, not enforced here | Daily wear |
| Gold-filled | Usually brass | Bonded sheet; gold is at least 5% (1/20) of total weight | Yes: US FTC weight rule. Rare in Australian brands | Hard daily wear where a brass base is acceptable |
| PVD gold | Stainless steel | Very thin vapour-deposited film, often sealed | No | Pieces that never come off; swim and gym |
| Solid gold | Nothing: gold alloy throughout | 9K = 37.5%, 14K = 58.5%, 18K = 75% gold | Karat is a fineness measure, recognised worldwide | Heirlooms; a decade of daily wear |
Gold-plated
Electroplating bonds a gold layer onto a base metal with an electric current. The base can be brass, copper, stainless steel or sterling silver, and the layer can be anything from a fraction of a micron to a few microns. Thickness is the whole story and it is the part most product pages leave out.
The karat on a plated piece tells you the colour of the gold, not how long it will last. "18K gold-plated" with no thickness could be a flash of gold that shows brass in weeks, or a serious layer over silver that lasts years. When the thickness is missing, the base metal is the next best clue: gold over sterling silver wears to silver, which stays pale and can be re-plated; gold over brass wears to brass.
Gold vermeil
Vermeil is the one term in the plated family with a precise definition, and it has three conditions, all of them required: a sterling silver base, gold of at least 10 karat, and a minimum thickness of 2.5 microns throughout. That is the US Federal Trade Commission rule. A brass base is not vermeil whatever the karat, and 2 microns over silver is not vermeil either, by that definition, even though some Australian brands use the word for it.
What vermeil buys you is the thickest gold layer available short of solid gold, sitting on a precious metal. Because the word is not enforced in Australia, a brand can use it and mean less. The verbatim rule, the thickness bands and what eleven Australian brands actually state are in our guide to gold-plated, gold vermeil and solid gold in Australia.
Gold-filled
The name misleads in both directions. A gold-filled piece is not filled with gold; it is a base metal, almost always brass, with a sheet of gold alloy bonded to the outside under heat and pressure. And it is not a thin finish either: to use the term, the gold must make up at least one-twentieth of the piece's weight, which puts the layer at many times the thickness of electroplating.
It is common in American wire-and-chain jewellery and rare in Australian brands. It wears very well, it cannot be cast into complex shapes, and when it does eventually wear through, it wears to brass.
PVD gold
Physical vapour deposition bonds a very thin metallic film to stainless steel in a vacuum chamber. The film is harder and more scratch-resistant than an electroplated layer of the same thickness, and it is usually sealed with a clear coat. This is what most "waterproof" and "tarnish-free" steel jewellery is. It contains almost no gold by weight; it is a gold-coloured finish on a metal that does not corrode. Good at what it does, and honest as long as it is described as steel.
Solid gold
Gold alloy all the way through. The karat says how much of the alloy is gold: 9K is 37.5%, 14K is 58.5%, 18K is 75%. Nothing to wear through. Colour and hardness change with the alloy: 9K is harder and paler, 18K is richer and softer, 24K is pure and soft enough that it is usually reserved for finishes and for cultures that prize the colour above all.
How to read a material line
Four things, in this order. Base metal: sterling silver, stainless steel or brass, named plainly. Karat: the colour and fineness of the gold on top. Thickness: a micron figure if the brand has one; if it does not, notice that. Warranty: the length says how confident the brand is in its own finish.
"18K gold over 925 sterling silver" gives you the first two and tells you the base is a precious metal. "18K gold" on its own tells you the colour and nothing else.
How we use the words
We use each term exactly and we publish the standard behind it. The body of the gold collection is 18K or 14K gold over 925 sterling silver: a solid sterling core with a plated gold layer, described on each page as, for example, "18K gold-plated 925 sterling silver" on the Coulée Drops. The pieces that carry the word vermeil are specified as vermeil by the maker, and each is gold over 925 sterling silver — among them the Rivage Band Ring in 24K. Our cuffs and bangles are 18K gold over stainless steel.
On thickness: we publish the maker's specification as given, karat and base metal, and we will publish the micron figure the day the maker certifies it. The full set of standards, with the wording each product page uses, is on the Standards page.
Questions
Is gold vermeil real gold?
Yes. Vermeil is a layer of real gold, at least 10 karat and at least 2.5 microns thick under the US standard, bonded to a solid sterling silver core. It is not solid gold; the gold is a surface layer over a precious-metal base.
Which lasts longer, gold vermeil or gold filled?
Gold-filled, on thickness alone: the bonded sheet is many times thicker than a vermeil layer. Vermeil sits on sterling silver, so when it eventually wears it shows silver and can be re-plated; gold-filled sits on brass and wears to brass. Choose on the base metal as much as the layer.
Is 18K gold-plated real gold?
The layer is real 18K gold. How much of it there is, and what it is bonded to, are the questions the phrase leaves open. Look for a stated base metal and, if the brand has one, a thickness in microns.
What does PVD mean on jewellery?
Physical vapour deposition: a thin, hard metallic film bonded to stainless steel in a vacuum, usually sealed with a clear coat. It is what most "waterproof" gold-coloured steel jewellery is. It resists scratches and water well and contains very little gold by weight.
Is gold vermeil worth the money?
For daily-wear pieces, yes: it is the thickest gold layer available short of solid gold, on a base that is itself a precious metal and can be re-plated. It is worth less if the brand cannot say what the word means on its own pieces, because in Australia the word alone does not guarantee a thickness.
Does Australia have a legal definition of gold vermeil?
No. The Australian Consumer Law prohibits misleading claims but sets no thickness or base-metal rule for "vermeil" or "gold-plated". Most Australian brands borrow the US FTC definition; some apply it precisely and some do not, which is why the material line matters more than the word.
