We predominantly produce our jewellery in 18ct Gold Vermeil. It sounds fancy and it is fancy (it’s pronounced ‘ver-may’, by the way). But what does it mean, and how is it different to ‘gold plated’?

Whilst not a commonly known phrase, you should learn to love Gold Vermeil. To be classed as such, the piece must have a base of sterling silver, and the thickness of the gold must be a minimum of 2.5 microns. The plating process is different too - Gold Vermeil is plated with a process known as ‘electrolysis’, making the jewellery very durable.

Melina Milano’s statement pieces are produced in 18ct gold-filled brass metal with a layer of 18ct gold or rhodium in a 2 micron thickness. There’s also a layer of anti-tarnish on top for good measure.

Traditionally, Melina has always used 18ct Gold Vermeil, which has allowed us to develop pieces which are fashionable, durable and affordable. But when we started designing some more playful statement collections in 2022, we realised producing them in 18ct Gold Vermeil would be much more expensive. We are sensitive to the affordability of our jewellery, so we made the decision to gold-plate our statement pieces to keep the price point at an affordable level. They are still incredibly durable - filled with exactly the same process as our Gold Vermeil

All Melina Milano’s sterling-silver pieces are rhodium plated. This luxurious member of the platinum family provides an extremely tough and protective layer against tarnishing for durability.