I  CAN  REMEMBER  WHEN  I  FIRST  STARTED  BUYING  JEWELRY, AND  I  WANTED TO  KNOW  SO  MUCH .I  SPENT  A  LOT  OF  TIME  EMAILING  SELLERS  ASKING QUESTIONS. SOME  TIPS  I  HAVE  FOUND  TO  BE   MOST HELPFUL  ARE -HOW  DO YOU  KNOW IF  A  RING  WILL  TURN  BLACK  ON  YOU  O R NOT? WELL, HERE'S  A GOOD  GUIDE   LINE,IF IT  SAYS  "GOLDTONE" ,OR  "SILVERTONE', IT  PROBABLY WILL. YOU  SEE, GOLDTONE  AND  SILVERTONE  DOESNT  MEAN  IT  IS  GOLD  OR SILVER ,OR  EVEN  HAS  IT  ON  IT ,IT  JUST  MEANS  IT  LOOKS  THAT  WAY. THEN YOU   ASK ,"WILL GOLD  PLATING  TARNISH?",  YES  AND  NO ,YOU MUST  BE CAREFUL  TO   CHECK AND  SEE  WHAT  THE  PLATING  COVERED, AND  HOW  THICK THE  PLATING  IS .YOU  SEE, IF  THEY  TAKE  A  BASE  METAL  LIKE  BRASS OR NICKLE  AND   COVER  IT, IT  CAN  TARNISH ( IT IS ALSO ALLERGIC,THUS TO GET HYPOALLERGENIC   IS TO  NOT  HAVE  A   BASE METAL) ,  AND IF  THEY  DONT  COVER  IT  MORE THAN  ONCE ,HA, GOOD  LUCK! IF  YOU  SEE  THAT  THEY ARE  TAKING  STERLING SILVER AND  PLATING  IT , YOU  ARE  PRETTY  SAFE, SOME  EVEN  USE  90  OR  120 MILLS   TO COVER  AND  THAT'S  STILL  BETTER .ACTUALLY  WHEN  YOU  HAVE STERLING+GOLD  OR  PLATINUM, YOU  HAVE  THE  BEST  OF  BOTH  WORLDS, FOR YOU  HAVE  STRENGTH  ADDED  TO  GOLD, AND  DURABILITY  ADDED  TO SILVER,AND ALSO WHEN YOU GO TO HIGH NUMBER GOLD (AS 24K) ,IT IS SOFTER THAN THE LOWER NUMBER ( AS 10K) AND  BENDS  AND   SCRATCHES MORE  EASILY AND  BEING  BONDED  WITH  TH E STERLING, I  FEEL  MAKES  IT  SO  MUCH STRONGER. MAKING  FOR  BEAUTIFUL  JEWELRY. SO, IF  YOU  CANT  AFFORD  GOLD  AND WANT  A  GOLD  PLATED  PIECE  OF  JEWELRY ,MAKE  SURE  IT  IS  GOLD  OVER SILVER ,AND  PREFERABLY  18K  GOLD AS  IT I  S MORE  BEAUTIFUL, SHINIER, LESS SCRATCHING  THAN  10K .A   GOOD  BRAND  IN  THIS  IS  "TECHNNIBOND"  AS  IT ALWAYS  USES  18K  GOLD  OVER  STERLING. .PLATINUM  AND  RHODIUM  ARE EVEN  BETTER  AS THEY  ARE  YOUR  BEST  METALS  AND  THE   MOST EXPENSIVE. I HAVE  BEEN  ASKED,  " IS THERE  REALLY  ANY  DIFFERENCE  IN 10K,14K,18K,24K? YES ,THERE  IS ,THE  HIGHER  THE  NUMBER ,THE  MORE  GOLD, THEREFORE MEANING ,MORE  BEAUTY ,MORE  SHINE,  LESS WEAR  AND  TARE.IF  YOU  ARE EVER  IN  A  JEWELRY  STORE, ASK  TO  SEE A 10K GOLD  RING  AND  A 18K  GOLD RING, I'M  SURE  WHEN  YOU  HOLD  THEM  SIDE  BY  SIDE  YOU  WILL  SEE  THE DIFFERENCE, THE  10K WILL LOOK FADED OUT AND DULL  NEXT  TO  THE 18K I HOPE  THIS  HELPS   YOU,AND   ON  MY NEXT  REVIEW, WE  WILL  DEAL  IN  WHAT  IS  SEMI-PRECIOUS  AND  WHAT  IS  PRECIOUS  STONES..