What is the difference between sterling silver and silver-plated jewelry?
Sterling silver is real silver and will be marked .925.
Silver-plated could mean just about anything these days. It is supposed to be a metal which could be copper, steal, etc that is dipped in real silver. There is usually only a thin layer of silver on top which can wear away exposing the metal beneath it. This should not be marked .925 as it is just a coating of silver. A lot of inexpensive costume jewelry is made this way.
There is also platinum plated and gold plated jewelry which in lieu of mystery metal, the base metal used is real silver. This is trendy today due to the high price of gold. It is still quality metals and far less expensive than real gold or platinum. The platinum and gold used to dip the silver is a very thin layer and in time can wear off.
What is the best, sterling silver or plated silver?
If it is a jewelry item make sure you don’t have the problem I have which is a high acid content in my body. I can put on a plated item and destroy it within months. I wear glasses and unless they are stainless or tungsten my sweat will eat through the regular metals they use. I have had a gold plated clasp on a necklace end up hollow as all of the metal under the plating dissolved. Plated rings will turn my fingers within days unless I have coated them with something such as clear fingernail polish. So in my case its definitely sterling silver or real gold.
What are the pros and cons of platinum plated rings versus sterling silver?
Sterling Silver jewelry that is medium & high end quality is normally platinum plated, actually Rhodium, a Platinum family metal. Which means whether white gold, platinum or silver that is rhodium plated, it will all look the same. The benefit to jewelry made of Gold or Platinum is that it is more durable and longer lasting than Silver due to Silver’s comparative softness. Platinum actually lasts the longest due to it displaces when scratched versus wearing away compared gold jewelry. Gold is a happy medium compared to Silver and Platinum with regard to wear-ability and cost. So the plating, on any metal, is the same pro/con in that it looks the same on all metals and will wear off over time on the areas that rub against things when wearing the ring.