A Jewelry Fanatic’s Guide to Accessing & Restocking Their Gold Chain Collection
Once you’ve purchased that first, authentic gold chain that makes you feel like the baller you are, it’s hard not to keep growing your collection. When it comes to hip hop jewelry styles, the options are limitless. With so many different chain styles and pendants, you could realistically have a different chain for every day—if you have the cash to spend on dope pieces.
Most of us work on our gold chain collections slowly over time, stocking up on classic pieces that are vital to our wardrobes and branching out to purchase more unusual accessories. We’ve had years of experience with growing and perfecting our collections (not to brag, but they’re pretty dope), so we decided to share some of our top tips on maintaining and restocking your own assortment of jewelry.
How to Start Your Gold Chain Collection
Invest in Staple Pieces
Anyone purchasing their very first hip hop jewelry piece may want to shell out the dough on a flashy, iced-out piece with a ridiculous pendant, but if this is the only piece in your collection, people are going to notice pretty quickly. Simple, staple pieces of jewelry like a thick Miami Cuban link chain or a traditional Franco style chain are necessary if you’re planning on rocking your gold chain look every day. These classic chain styles allow you to personalize your look by adding different pendants as well as mixing and matching them with other chain golds.
When you only purchase a very noticeable and unique piece, people will remember it and notice every time you wear it. You can easily get away with wearing your staple chains without anyone noticing that they’re the same—especially if you add and remove different pendants on the regular. As your collection grows, you can begin shopping around for more unusual pieces.
Look For Matching Accessories
True swag comes from a dope-ass sense of style and a significant investment in high-quality, authentic gold chains. Anytime you see a hip hop artist showing off their style, they’ve usually got several different accessories to pull their outfit together.
Follow their lead. Look for bracelets in the same style as your chains or add some gemstone rings to give you a more blinged-out look. If you want to look like a serious baller, save up for a Rolex watch as your next purchase. Maybe even go all-out and splurge on one of the iced-out watches. The Rolex has always been a symbol of luxury and affluence, which is why anytime you rock one, you’ll definitely be the center of attention.
Add To Your Gold Chain CollectionPurchase Swappable Pendants
You can own just a few good gold chains but dozens of dope pendants to keep your accessories always looking fresh. When you invest in iced-out or solid gold pendants, it’s easy to add or remove them from one of your chains and give your outfit a completely new vibe. You can rock one of our Frost NYC iced-out emoji pendants in the winking face, sunglass face, or poop emoji for a funny accessory or opt for a classic Jesus piece pendant, so you can channel your inner Notorious B.I.G. energy.
If you’re going to stock up on pendants so you can mix and match with your chains, be sure that you’re using chains that aren’t too thick (they might distract from the pendant) or too thin to support the weight of the pendant.
Pick Your Preferred Metal
Most people find themselves gravitating toward one metal tone in particular—although, for a truly unique collection, you should eventually branch out and purchase gold chains of different colors.
But, when you’re just starting to grow your collection, you’ll want to pick metals and designs that speak to your sense of style. White gold and traditional yellow gold are the two most popular options, but rose gold is becoming another popular option, as it has a unique pink-ish hue, and platinum is an extremely desirable material that resembles white gold—but with a higher price tag.
Branch Out to Unique Designs
Once you feel like you have a pretty solid foundation for your gold chain collection, it’s time to start finding more unique pieces that you can break out for a special occasion or night at the club with the homies. Look for pendants that show off your personality, or make yourself the center of attention with a totally iced-out gold chain necklace and matching bracelet or watch. It’s your collection, so make it as swaggy as possible and look for rare or unusual chain styles and pendant designs to constantly take your accessory game to the next level.
Caring for Your Gold Chain Collection
If you’re going to drop a couple stacks on a single piece of jewelry, you definitely need to know how to care for it. Without the right storage and regular maintenance, your pieces will lose their luster and collect dirt and grease from being worn and exposed.
Anytime you throw on your favorite chain, it’s touching your skin and picking up sweat, dirt, and anything else that you come in contact with throughout the day. You probably won't even notice the buildup until it’s become so extensive that you need to do a deep cleaning. Trust us. It’s just better to get into the habit of cleaning your chains every so often to maintain their shine.
Weekly Cleanings
For any pieces that you wear on a daily or weekly basis, it’s a good idea to do a quick cleaning to avoid build from becoming too bad. There are few simple methods for a fast cleaning. You can add warm water and dish soap to a paper towel, and then simply wipe down the jewelry and rinse it off in water. Be sure to let it completely air dry before wearing or putting away. Surprisingly, you can actually use beer to clean gold jewelry, too. Pour a small amount on a paper towel, wipe it down, and rinse it off with water.
Monthly Cleanings
Weekly cleanings should prevent grime from becoming too nasty and built up, but a monthly cleaning is important because it’s a bit more in-depth. Weekly cleanings can be done only on the pieces that you wear on the regular, but, for your monthly cleanings, you should pull out your entire collection and give everything a good scrub.
Deep cleanings can be done a number of ways, too. Fill a bowl with warm water and dish soap. Allow the jewelry to soak for 30 minutes to an hour, and then use a soft brush or toothbrush and scrub hard-to-reach places that may still be harboring dirt. Rinse off with warm water and dry with a clean towel. This is the easiest and safest way to clean your jewelry, but if your pieces are particularly grimey, you can also pour boiling water over your gold chains, and then allow them to sit until the water is cool enough to touch. Scrub with a brush and dry off with a soft towel.
Safekeeping
You should have a specific area where you store each of the pieces in your gold chain collection, whether it’s a simple, small jewelry box or a stand-up one. Putting your chains in a designated spot will prevent dust from settling on them and keep them safe from anyone who might be tempted to snag one of your priceless chains.
If you’re willing to drop money on your jewelry, then you need to be willing to spend a little money on protecting them. A jewelry box is always a great way to keep your collection organized, helping you to see everything you’re working with and select what’s going to look the dopest with your outfit. If you’re really concerned about the safety of your pieces, you can purchase a lock for your box or even find a jewelry safe.
Consider Insurance
As your collection grows and becomes increasingly valuable, you may want to consider investing in insurance specifically for your jewelry. If you have renter’s or homeowner’s insurance, it may cover a portion of your loss should your jewelry become damaged or stolen, but there are a lot of stipulations that may prohibit you from collecting money on some of your most valuable items like jewelry.
Instead, it’s a smart idea to look into jewelry insurance because it can provide much more comprehensive coverage and may even cover your jewelry should you lose it. Before you can shop for a plan, you’ll need to visit a jewelry appraiser to have him or her verify that your piece is legit, give an accurate assessment on its value, and provide paperwork that you need to submit to the insurance company. Collect any other paperwork you may need, and then start inquiring about insurance rates and policies.
Re-Stocking Your Collection
Try to Fix Damage First
If you’ve been working on your hip hop jewelry collection for years, it may be time to ditch some of your older pieces and re-up on some new ish. But, if your piece is still in good condition and just requires a bit of TLC, try to have it repaired before ditching it altogether. Simple problems like a broken link or a gold chain necklace that feels too short or too long can easily be fixed by a professional jeweler by replacing, removing, or adding links of the same style.
If the clasp or the ring on your pendant that connects it to your chain have broken or fallen off, this is another really simple problem. However, once your chains start to look dull and may have even become scratched or dented slightly, it might be time to pawn them and invest in a dope new replacement piece.
Replace Pieces That You Love
If you have one particular kind of gold chain like the Cuban Miami link or Figaro style that you wear on the daily, but your original piece has definitely seen better days, it’s okay to just replace it. Don’t hang on to something just because you’ve had it for a long time.
If the necklace itself is damaged beyond repair or looks old and dull, let go of it and turn it in to a pawn shop or jewelry store to get some money back and put it toward a new chain. Don’t feel pressured into finding a new style, unless you want to leave your old look behind. It’s okay to replace one staple piece with the same but new version.
Try a New Style
When you’re ready to make your next big hip hop jewelry purchase but you want something that stands out from the rest of your collection, consider buying a chain in a different color of metal than you usually go for or find a totally unique pendant. You can also branch out and look for accessories like bracelets and rings that match your existing gold chains.
Use the Same Jewelry Outlet
For jewelry fanatics, shopping for the next swaggy piece is a serious hobby. It’s okay to experiment with buying chains from different outlets—you might find yourself on vacation when you spot the perfect chain. But, once you’ve found a really reputable vendor that has dope designs, reliable customer service, and a reasonable return policy, it’s a good idea to stick to what you know. Branching out and trying different jewelry companies can be dangerous if you don’t know what you’re getting yourself into. Trust the relationship you have with your current jewelry provider.
Floss on ‘Em with the Dopest Collection Around
If you’re trying to take your collection of gold chains to the next level, follow our tips on buying, restocking, and properly caring for your jewelry. Start your collection off with a few staple pieces that can be dressed up or swapped out with different pendants. From there, you can start to seek out more unique chains that will have everybody wondering how you got such dope style. Clean your jewelry regularly and keep it somewhere safe to ensure that it will maintain its original shine.
When you’re ready to add more to your collection, check out Frost NYC’s expansive selection of chains, pendants, bracelets, watches, and more.