Silver Gilt / Vermeil/ Gold Plate

Silver Gilt / Vermeil/ Gold Plate - All three of these terms equate to similar concepts and techniques used in antique metalware.

Silver Gilt - A process in which solid silver has been gilded with gold, giving the appearance of a fully gold object.

Vermeil - Originally a French word, a term used to describe silverware that has been layered with gold which must be over a minimum of 10 karats and have a thickness of over 2.5 microns.

Gold Plate - A layer of thin gold that is applied to a different metal in order to coat and give the appearance of a solid gold item. 

Here we have a silver-gilt French snuff box coated in 22K gold with a vermeil interior.