I just had a lovely woman come into the store with her favorite necklace. She purchased it because it is a great all occasion piece. It is a 14K gold chain with big circular links in different thicknesses and diameters.   The problem is that the thinner links are deforming. When she took the necklace off and handed it to me, I immediately cringed. It was a piece of hollow gold jewelry. The links were made from tubes not solid wires, so that as the necklace was worn the tubes had started to collapse. Once a hollow piece has collapsed or dented, there is almost always no cure.

I HATE hollow gold pieces.  I hate telling customers that their favorite piece of jewelry is unrepairable (or could be repaired at a huge expense).  I especially hate it when they tell me that the piece is less than a year old.

Here’s the deal.  Companies make hollow pieces because it is a great way to get the same look as a big heavy gold piece without the huge price tag.   Customers buy hollow gold pieces because they see that a solid piece of similar size and style is 3 to 4 times as expensive as the hollow piece.  But, as with most things, you get what you pay for.  If you only wear the piece on special occasions, the hollow piece might work well for you.  If you wear the piece everyday, it is only a matter of time, usually a few short years sometimes even months, before your jewelry is totally destroyed.  Rings and bracelets take the most abuse and will wear out the fastest.  Necklaces tend to fair a bit better, but the hollow piece are just not meant to be durable.  The look big and flashy, but they don’t last.

If you are making a jewelry purchase look out for pieces that look heavy but feel light.  Ask the sales person if the piece is hollow.  If they don’t know, ask the manager.  If the piece you like is hollow, keep in mind that you are buying something that might not be meant for everyday wear.  If you already have hollow pieces, treat them with care.  Don’t wear them to the gym or while you are doing chores or to bed.  If you want to purchase an item which you plan to pass down to your children and will wear often, spend the extra money to buy a solid piece.

My personal opinion is that there is only one piece of hollow jewelry that is acceptable: the hollow earring.  When it comes to earrings the lighter weight is not just less expensive, it is often more comfortable.  Most gold hoops on the market are hollow, so you really don’t have much choice.  The trick is to never, ever, ever wear the earrings to bed.  99% of the customers who bring me their hollow earrings that have been dented admit that the damage occurred when they were sleeping.  Taking the earring off when you use the telephone is another way to extend its life.

This particular customer is pretty lucky.  We are going to slowly replace her hollow links with links made from solid wire.  It will extend the life of the necklace and restore the original look of the piece.