There are two types of chains that are used in jewelry for making chains, necklaces, and bracelets. The first is traditional full-bodied chains that have been in use for several centuries. They are manufactured with the help of traditional methods using solid links and brazed construction.
The second type is hollow chains, also known as farfetched chains. Their links are made from tubes. Hollow chains are relatively recent and use a new manufacturing technology that had to be invented with the rise in the price of gold and silver.
Both types of chains are outwardly similar to each other, however, there are very significant differences between them, which are not always obvious to the buyer. Let’s tell you more about them.
Full-bodied “one-piece” chain
If you take a link in a full-bodied chain, cut and stretch it, you have a metal wire that is full inside. Therefore, they got their name.
The first thing that the buyer notices when he picks up a full-bodied chain is its weight. Such items of gold and silver are very dense and surprisingly heavy. In addition, they are expensive because a lot of precious metal is used to make a chain.
The high cost of full-bodied chains can be misleading if not considered for their durability. Such products will last for decades and centuries. The chain your grandfather bought and worn by your father can easily be restored to near-new condition with a simple polish. Many people still use jewelry that their distant ancestors acquired. Full-bodied chains wear out very slowly, defects can appear on them only after a few generations.
In addition, another advantage of full-bodied jewelry is that even when worn, it maintains a high price in gold. Often due to the growth of the precious metal rate it is more expensive than at the time of purchase. If you sell such a chain today from your grandfather or great-grandfather, you will receive significantly more money than he paid for it.
In the modern world of planned obsolescence and disposable use, full-bodied jewelry made of gold and silver is of considerable value.
Hollow “farfetched” chain
If you take a link in a hollow chain, cut and stretch it, you get a straw that looks like a cocktail straw. It will be empty inside.
Hollow chains are much lighter and cheaper than solid ones. They were invented relatively recently, with the rise in the price of precious metals. Many buyers simply could not afford full-bodied chains, so manufacturers had to make “tubes” from gold and silver.
Hollow chains do not visually differ from full-bodied ones, however, they are lighter and cheaper. Such jewelry is often sold in large supermarkets, department stores, jewelry stores, and on TV. Manufacturers often do not mention that the chain has a hollow structure, as a result of which some buyers mistakenly believe that the product is made of pure gold or silver.
For the manufacture of hollow chains, very thin metal is used, slightly thinner than aluminum foil. However, due to its mechanical strength, it does not look like that. Hollow chains are extremely susceptible to stretching, tearing, and dents.
Disadvantages of hollow chains
The main disadvantage of the hollow chain is its low mechanical strength. Such jewelry is very easy to break, crack, stretch, and dents appear on them from impacts. If you catch on something with a hollow chain, it will deform. Stretching can cause the link to break and the product to collapse. Many hollow chains are so soft that you can dent them with your fingernails.
Hollow chains are not recommended to be worn with pendants which are heavier than the chain itself. If you want to wear the chain with the pendant, the pendant has to be twice lighter than the chain. For example, if the chain weights 5 gr, the pendant should be not more than 2 gr. The weight of this piece of jewelry can cause the links to deform. The chain will constantly stretch and collapse until it becomes unrepairable.
And finally, if you want to hand over such a chain to a pawnshop or buyout, you will receive very little money for it, since the jewelry contains a scanty amount of gold.
Advantages of hollow chains
The only advantage of the hollow chain is its low cost. Also, some people may like the light weight of this jewelry. If your budget does not allow you to buy a full-bodied chain, you may well consider a farfetched option.
The main thing is to wear a hollow chain not all the time, but from time to time, without a pendant or with a pendant that is twice lighter than the chain, and very carefully. In addition, do not forget to take off such jewelry before any physical activity and do not sleep in it.
Hollow chain repair
It is also worth noting that it can be difficult to find a jeweler who can repair a hollow chain. Many craftsmen refuse to work with products, since it is extremely difficult to solder hollow links, as thin as aluminum foil.
