After having spent twenty years in the jewelry industry, I feel I can help you when it comes to buying a gold necklace. There are, as with anything, a number of things to consider before ever walking into a jewelry store so that you do not buy the wrong gold necklace for your needs.
Hollow Wire
Did you know that gold necklaces are often made from hollow wire? Well, the fact is that hollow wire is quite often used to make gold necklaces and that it is done this way so that there can be larger necklaces at a much less expensive price. If you are planning only to wear the necklace as a chain, as is often seen with rope chains, then a hollow wire gold necklace could work for you. However, I strongly recommend that you plan to take it off at night or anytime it could be in danger of being pulled on, because hollow wire is designed for looks not durability.
Solid Wire
On the other hand, though, a gold necklace made from solid wire is much more durable and can withstand some trauma, such as the wear and tear a pendant can put on a chain. In addition, there are solid wire crafted gold necklaces that are made even more durable by having every individual link soldered together. A gold necklace that has been fashioned in this way can withstand even the heaviest of pendants (e.g. one dollar gold piece).
What This All Means
What this all means for your buying guide is that you first need to know what kind of durability you need. In other words, are you planning to wear this everyday or all the time? Are you planning to have your gold necklace adorned with a pendant? Do you ever plan to wear a pendant on it? If your answer to any or all of these questions is yes or I don’t know, then I strongly recommend that you look for and purchase a solid wire crafted gold necklace.
Certainly, the solid wire will create a little more immediate out of pocket expense; however, in the long run you will be grateful. The last thing you will ever want to do is replace your gold necklace and pendant because the hollow wire crafted chain you bought as a bargain has broken. This becomes even more important if that pendant is an heirloom or some other kind of keepsake. Hollow certainly has its benefits, but one of them is definitely not durability.
