(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.---------------------------------------------------------------------------
\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.