[Code of Federal Regulations]
[Title 16, Volume 1]
[Revised as of January 1, 2005]
From the U.S. Government Printing Office via GPO Access
[CITE: 16CFR23.5]

[Page 145]
 
                     TITLE 16--COMMERCIAL PRACTICES
 
                   CHAPTER I--FEDERAL TRADE COMMISSION
 
PART 23_GUIDES FOR THE JEWELRY, PRECIOUS METALS, AND PEWTER INDUSTRIES
--Table of Contents
 
Sec. 23.5  Misuse of the word ``vermeil.''

    (a) It is unfair or deceptive to represent, directly or by 
implication, that an industry product is ``vermeil'' if such mark or 
description misrepresents the product's true composition.
    (b) An industry product may be described or marked as ``vermeil'' if 
it consists of a base of sterling silver coated or plated on all 
significant surfaces with gold, or gold alloy of not less than 10 karat 
fineness, that is of substantial thickness \7\ and a minimum thickness 
throughout equivalent to two and one half (2\1/2\) microns (or 
approximately \100\/1,000,000ths of an inch) of fine gold.
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    \7\ See footnote 3.

    Note 1 to Sec. 23.5: It is unfair or deceptive to use the term 
``vermeil'' to describe a product in which the sterling silver has been 
covered with a base metal (such as nickel) plated with gold unless there 
is a disclosure that the sterling silver is covered with a base metal 
that is plated with gold.
    Note 2 to Sec. 23.5: Exemptions recognized in the assay of gold 
filled, gold overlay, and rolled gold plate industry products are listed 
in the appendix.

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