Hollow/Tubular, v.s. Solid Wedding Rings
Because the price of gold has gone up so much in the last 5 years, we are seeing more gold jewelry that uses techniques to reduce the gold content of the piece, and thereby lower the cost. One recently resurrected concept is the manufacture of wedding bands which are hollow on the inside. So, your ring will look exactly like a solid ring, but it will weigh much less, and therefore cost less! But....
Hollow rings, sometimes referred to as tubular, or "Silk Fit Ⓡ", cannot be re-sized like a solid ring. And, because they are hollow, they can be easily dented in normal use. Once dented, they cannot be easily repaired, if at all. And, they may not even cost less...
For example, I found a size 10, 14K white gold "Silk Fit Ⓡ" band on eBay, listed for $170. The gold weight is listed as 1.2 grams. Our 14K White Gold Comfort Fit Gold Band in a size 10 is shown on our website today as $239.00, and the gold weight is 3.1 grams, over two and a half times more gold! To equalize the price of the hollow ring to our gold price, that seller should have his ring priced at about $65.00 instead of $170.00. So, it is no bargain, and in fact, is way, way overpriced for the quality of the ring. Or, looked at another way, if we priced our ring the same way they are pricing theirs, our ring would be selling for $454.00!The image to the right shows a cross section of different style rings. Wedding bands on our website are solid all the way through, so the yellow color in the image above is all gold. In a hollow, or tubular ring, the yellow color in the above image would be just air, or possibly a non-metallic filler, and the black outline is the actual gold, although it would probably be a little thicker than the black line indicates.
A wedding ring is a purchase that will stay with you for a long time, and most of us will notice that our fingers "gain weight" over the years. If you have a solid band, it can easily be stretched to accommodate your new measurement, but a hollow band would have to be scrapped. Even if you lose weight, and want the ring reduced in size, that can be done, too. Don't compromise, always buy a solid ring that can be re-sized if needed, and it will last a lifetime--you won't regret that decision.
Comments