Art, to me at least, is about timelessness. And it is with that same approach that I envision jewelry. I want to focus on precious metals, and created limited edition art jewelry. Fond of the "wabisabi" spirit, of the perfectly imperfect human touch, that aspect needs to be in my control. And fading gold plating is not.
Flash, microns, these are key words, all to describe that thin layer to cover the sterling silver. I did walk a lot in the jewelry district, and even spoke with "the most expensive gold plater in the world." They still only offer 5 or 6 microns. Life is cahos and the main plus of luxury should be comfort. Not to have to take off that ring to wash hands.
I thus decide not to offer Vermeil as part of my collection, but rather develop pieces of jewelry that I will design specifically for gold.
Plating will be an option for special projects, though, yellow gold, rose gold, gunmetal...