Solid gold chains, bracelets, and necklaces are a dream for anyone who’s looking to amp up their style. Solid gold has a weight and a finesse to it that is unmatched by many other types of jewelry. However, if the appearance of your jewelry is all you care about as opposed to how it feels, why spend more money than you need to?

Hollow gold is a great alternative for people on a budget trying to get the look of authentic, high-quality jewelry. Let’s take a look at how it compares to solid gold, as well as when you might prefer one over the other.

What Is Hollow Gold?

Hollow gold is essentially the opposite of solid gold. Where solid gold is composed of gold in its entirety, even its center, hollow gold has empty space inside. This makes it much more lightweight and inexpensive compared to solid gold.

Hollow gold is not the same as a gold-plated material, which uses a layer of gold on the outside but is filled with another type of metal on the inside. This gives it the appearance of solid gold while also mimicking the same weight and feel.

Hollow Gold vs. Solid Gold

If you’re not sure which type of metal to go with when picking out your next piece of jewelry, here are some important differences and similarities to know.

Durability

One of the biggest differences between each of these different types of gold is their durability. Hollow gold pieces are naturally much more prone to wear and tear because they are entirely hollow, as opposed to solid gold pieces, which have better structural integrity and are more resistant to damage.

Not to mention, hollow gold is usually more noticeable when it wears and tears. This is because scratches look more like dents or can even create holes or gaps in the surface of the piece. If a solid gold necklace gets a scratch, it usually isn’t very noticeable unless you’re looking at the piece from extremely close-up since there is gold all along the inside, too.

Cost

Another significant difference between these two is the cost. Solid gold contains a lot more actual gold compared to hollow gold, so you can expect to pay a much higher price tag. Hollow gold is considered a budget-friendly jewelry option.

There are factors that can influence the price of either type, though. The quality of the gold is a major contributor. A 24k hollow gold piece will likely run up a higher price tag than a 14k solid gold piece purely because of the metal quality. Additionally, diamonds, stones, and other add-ons will naturally hike up the price tag despite the type of metal that it uses.

Purpose

Hollow gold and solid gold can amplify an outfit, but there are specific reasons why you would wear one over the other. Solid gold is meant for formal wear. You’d wear solid gold chains to a wedding, a fine dinner, an awards show, or another event where some celebrities might be rubbing elbows with you.

Hollow gold is meant for casual attire where you’re just trying to turn a boring outfit into something a little bit more exciting. It’s meant for days when you’re not necessarily trying to impress anybody, but you still want to try to look your best before stepping out of the door.

Appearance

Although hollow gold might appear a bit tarnished more quickly than solid gold, the bottom line is that both of these pieces look nearly identical. A hollow gold necklace would not look too much different from a solid gold necklace because the visual components of the piece are still made with gold.

The only time when you can really tell the difference is if you’re feeling the pieces. Hollow gold is markedly lighter and less dense than solid gold, so if someone gets close to you and wants to check out your piece, they’ll likely be able to tell which one you’re wearing.

Both hollow gold and solid gold can be made to look like other types of gold, too, like white gold or rose gold. While these variations are technically not considered solid gold to begin with because they are made with other alloys to give them this color, you can get both of these types of jewelry in these hues.

How To Take Care of Your Gold Jewelry

You should take care of hollow gold jewelry in the same way as solid gold, though you’ll probably need to take a little bit of extra care.

Regular Cleaning

To keep your gold jewelry shining and looking pristine, you’ll want to clean it every time it looks like it’s getting visibly dirty.

First, combine a solution of 10 parts warm water with about two parts mild dish soap. Then, soak your piece in the solution for about one to three hours to let all of the residue slide off. After that, take them out and scrub the piece gently with a soft cloth or your fingers.

Carefully run the piece under clean water and blot it dry with a cloth (like a microfiber one). Drying your piece thoroughly is vital to reduce the risk of getting any oxidized rust on your jewelry.

Avoid abrasive cleaners like bleach or rough cloths like paper towels.

Proper Storage

Storing your jewelry is one of the greatest lines of defense when it comes to making sure it lasts you a long time. One of the safest places to keep a piece of jewelry is a clean, fabric-lined jewelry box that protects it from the elements and keeps it dry.

This also prevents your pieces from rubbing up against each other. Since gold is relatively low on the hardness scale, it can be nicked and dented pretty easily if it touches other pieces, like harder metals or hard stones like diamonds. If you don’t have a jewelry box, there is no harm in keeping your pieces separated in the original packaging that they came in.

Avoid Chlorine and Water

Chlorine is gold’s worst enemy, and with repeated exposure, your gold’s structural integrity will lower. Or chlorine could end up breaking your piece entirely. This is especially the case for hollow gold, which is a lot less durable to begin with.

Take off your jewelry before you hop into the pool or chill at the spa. The same goes for sweating during a workout or going to the sauna. Remove your piece so that moisture does not lead to rust formation on the outside of the piece.

In Conclusion

Hollow gold looks just like solid gold, except there is empty space on the inside rather than solid gold throughout. This means that it’s a lot less expensive but is also less durable and less lightweight in comparison.

While hollow gold might not be as durable, a large contributor to your piece’s quality is the jeweler where you got it. 6 Ice is the finest purveyor of hip-hop jewelry in all types, shapes, sizes, prices, and styles.

Take a look at our newest drops of men’s and women’s jewelry to start crafting your perfect look.

Sources:

Full Comparison of 10K, 14K, 18K and 24K Gold | The Diamond Pro

Mohs Hardness Scale | U.S. National Park Service

Gold—Chlorine and Gold—Bromine Equilibria in Fused Salts | The Journal of Physical Chemistry