Silver Gilt

silver gilt, also called vermeil, gilded silver produced either by the fire-gilding method or by electrolysis. In the former, earlier method, the object is covered with an amalgam of gold and mercury. The mercury evaporates when the piece is fired, leaving a gold deposit. In the latter method, the silver object is wired as the cathode and a bar of gold as the anode, and both are immersed in an electrolytic solution. When an electric current is passed, gold ions are deposited on the silver object (cathode). After fire-gilding or electrolysis, the silver gilt is burnished, usually with a polished agate stone.