Is gold plated sterling silver jewellry durable?

Question

I want to buy a sterling silver ring plated with 18 carat gold. Does the gold plating come off over time with wear?

Answer 1

The simple answer is yes. Gold-plated sterling silver is also known as vermeil. Generally the plating is not very thick, and like all plating will wear off, especially in a high wear area like your finger.

A better solution is a gold-filled ring. It is roughly the same price, but has a thick layer of gold over a metal such as brass

The number of carats in the ring also matters.

You can read all about the differences between plating, vermeil, gold-filled and what is a carat, here :

http://craft.ontheinternet.com.au/beads/...