Ever want a solid metal Bic Cristal pen? Not only does such a pen exist, but it has for 30+ years. It’s also made of gold-plated silver. The downside? It’s expensive and quite rare.
The Vermeil Bic Cristal was constructed entirely of silver, as opposed to entirely of plastic. It was made of 925 sterling silver and makes with a certified of authenticity as well as a metal gift box. Vermeil is the process of placing a thin coating of gold over silver. As as a result of this on Vermeil Cristal pens that actually saw use, the gold can be worn out or even flaked off on some parts of the pen.
In this case silver was a good fit for the pen because the 25th anniversary is the silver anniversary.
The Vermeil Cristal was released in 1975 in celebration of the pen’s 25th anniversary (it was originally released in 1950).
The anniversary Cristal matched the exact dimensions of the plastic Cristal but weighed about 28 grams. The pen uses a standard Bic Cristal refill.
There is an alternate version of a vermeil Bic Cristal called the Bic Radica or Bic Bruyère Vermeil, which has a silver cap and body but has a briarwood body. It is said that Bic also released a small number of solid gold Cristal pens, but we haven’t been able to confirm this. We do know that for the 60th anniversary of the Cristal — in 2010 — Bic released plastic Cristal pens in gold and silver colors. There was also a silver (non-vermeil) Cristal released for the 25th anniversary.
Bic Cristal Vermeil Information
| Street Price | Check Price |
| Manufacturer | Bic |
| Pen Type | Ballpoint |
| Rating | |
| Barrel Color | |
| Barrel Material | |
| Grip Color | |
| Grip Material | |
| Country of Origin | Germany |
| MSRP | $500 |
| Still Sold | Yes |
| Similar To | |
| Refills | |
| Capped? Retractable? | |
| Clip? | |
| Weight (g) | |