Jewelry Making

I wanted to get my boyfriend either a bracelet or ring for Christmas, but I don't have much money. I've been looking around, and I found a place that sells all kinds of jewelry, but has some really nice looking pieces that are pretty affordable, because they are 18k gold over sterling silver.

Is it just a waste of money to buy jewelry made that way? Will it become dull, tarnish, the gold rub off, or become crappy looking with lots of wear?

I went on a cruise a few months ago and my cousin and I brought bracelets back for our boyfriends. They were those "Inch of Gold" ones, I'm pretty sure they're gold over silver. My boyfriend wears his everyday and it has become quite dull.

I don't want to make the same mistake twice.

18K gold over silver jewelry will not last you forever as you already know. How long it will last you depends on the quality and the quantity of the gold plating on it. Gold in general (pure gold for example) is actually very soft compared with other metals. That is why even if you have pure 24K gold jewelry it becomes distorted out of shape. Gold plating will behave the same way. The pollutants added into it make it behave even worse. The gold plating will wear off in time. Most of the time it is just use and abuse. Chemicals and substances that come into contact everyday react with gold.

Especially if you are buying a ring or a bracelet, things like human sweat, dirt, smog form the air, water, and soap will undoubtedly come into contact with the gold. You can't really avoid them. So I am not telling you to go with something expensive. Just go with what you can afford and then simply get it polished/plated again, if it becomes too dull or if the gold starts wearing off again.