Hollow Rings

Hollow Rings

Jake Fox
This graphic shows two similar rings. One is built the way we would make it, while the other is a piece we saw for sale last week at "the other guy's" shop.
So what's the difference?
Our ring is solid.
  • Comfort fit
  • Easy to keep clean
  • Durable
  • Easy to size
Their ring is hollow.
  • Scratchy inside
  • Gunk collector
  • Easy to dent or bend
  • Much more difficult to size
Obviously, hollowing a ring is done to save costs, so with gold prices at an all time high, let's look at how much money you'd save.
On today's market, as of December 4 2023, using 14k gold and nice quality diamonds, we'd build this ring the right way for $2495 + tax.
We wouldn't build the hollowed version at all, but if we were going to, it would cost $2375 + tax.
That's a whopping 4.9% difference in price, and all you have to sacrifice is comfort, cleanliness, security, and longevity.
We've been preaching this for years: The truth is that when companies make decisions like this, it isn't to save YOU money. It's to save THEM money.
Few people would opt for the inferior piece if they knew it was barely $100 difference, but for a company that mass manufactures thousands of these over and over and over, that savings can really affect their bottom line.
If they saved even $50 a ring, and sold one thousand units in a year, that's $50,000 annually. Now consider that many of these pieces are made in places like China where the average jeweler's salary is about $18600 a year, and you've just paid nearly three of your employees' annual wages by cutting a few corners that the majority of your customers won't see or understand.

At J. Fox Custom, we strive to build each project the right way because we believe it's how it should be done, and that our customers deserve the best.

But even if you want to take a more cynical approach, think about it this way:
A large manufacturer ends up with greatly reduced accountability.
Their customers are often distribution companies which in turn sell to corporations which then allocate to their individual storefronts. When the people buying the jewelry have problems, they aren't complaining to the people that made it, but to an employee of an employee of a corporation that is itself several steps removed from the actual manufacturer. The people that made the ring may never hear the complaint at all, and if they do, they likely have no real incentive or obligation to do anything about it.

We not only work one-on-one with our customers, but we live in the same community. We shop in the same shops, attend the same schools and churches. We don't want to disappoint or frustrate the people who support us.

Even beyond the personal aspect, the incentive to cut corners would still be much lower. Cutting corners to save a few percent doesn't make sense for a small operation. We build each piece individually, and to a great extent can predict our costs ahead of time, and price accordingly. We aren't selling 1000 units, or trying to hit a sweet spot in a global market. We're selling one piece at a time to customers who have already discussed their individual budgets and expectations.

This is one of the beauties of custom design, and one of the reasons we've built our business without the aid of brands or mass manufactured pieces. It's one of the reasons we still build everything we make in the USA where we can see and have input on every step of the process.

One of our taglines since day one has been "you deserve the best." That's not just empty words, it's a slogan we truly believe in, and try to adhere to at all times.

Don't settle for less than the best.
Experience the difference with J. Fox Custom.

Back to blog

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.