If you've ever felt confused by jewellery descriptions, you're not alone. Gold plated, gold vermeil, gold filled, solid gold... it can feel like a foreign language. But understanding the difference is genuinely useful, especially if you're trying to buy something that lasts.

Let's keep it simple.

Solid gold is exactly what it sounds like: the metal all the way through is gold. In the UK, you'll usually see it described as 9ct (carat) or 18ct. The carat number tells you how much pure gold is in the mix. Pure gold on its own is actually too soft for jewellery, so it gets combined with other metals to make it stronger and more wearable. 9ct gold is 37.5% pure gold, and 18ct is 75% pure gold. Both are considered "solid gold" because the gold runs all the way through the piece. This is what Minima uses.

Gold vermeil (pronounced "ver-may") is sterling silver with a thick coating of gold on the outside. To be called vermeil, that gold layer needs to be at least 2.5 microns thick and usually 10ct or higher. It looks beautiful when new, but over time the gold layer can wear away to reveal the silver underneath. It's a step up from gold plating, but it's still a coating rather than solid metal.

Gold plated jewellery has the thinnest layer of gold, often less than 0.5 microns. This is what you'll find in most high street and fast fashion jewellery. It looks fine at first, but that layer wears off quickly, sometimes within weeks of regular wear. Underneath is usually a base metal like brass or copper, which can turn your skin green or cause irritation for some people.

Gold filled sits somewhere between vermeil and solid gold. It has a much thicker layer of gold than plating (usually 5% of the total weight), bonded to a base metal core using heat and pressure. It's more durable than vermeil but still not the same as solid gold.

So why does it matter? It comes down to longevity and value. A solid gold ring can last generations. It can be resized, repaired, melted down and remade. It won't tarnish or wear away. A gold plated ring might look similar in a photograph, but it's a fundamentally different product with a much shorter lifespan.

There's nothing wrong with choosing plated or vermeil jewellery if you want something fun and temporary. But if you're buying a piece you want to keep, wear every day, or pass on to someone you love, it's worth understanding what you're actually getting.

At Minima, all pieces are made from solid 9ct gold or sterling silver. No plating, no coatings, no surprises. Just metal that lasts.