Tubogas Collar Necklace

This is one of my absolute favorite styles of necklace! It has a terrific presence, yet is unfussy enough to wear every day. If you like, it can be dressed up or down. Most notably, it sits in a very flattering place at the collar.

This lovely vintage collar necklace was crafted in a style known as tubogas. What is tubogas? The word translates to "gas pipe" and refers to a jewelry technique where two rows of metal strips, each with interlocking edges, are intertwined so to create a flexible and hollow tubular necklace (or bracelet, belt, etc. - the applications are numerous) which requires no soldering. Pieces like these rose to popularity in the 1940s, during a scarcity of supplies and materials due to World War II. 

This piece was made a bit later, likely the 1970s or 1980s. It is fashioned from gold-filled metal, with the look and impact of a solid gold piece for a fraction of the expense. Fastens with a locking box closure.

What is “gold-filled?” Gold-filled jewelry is higher quality than gold-plated and lower cost than solid (alloyed) gold. Typically, gold-filled jewelry is required to have a 1/20th (or 5%) weight in gold (usually 14k,) which is affixed/bonded to all exterior portions of the jewelry item (which usually has a brass, or sometimes copper, core.) Gold-plated jewelry has no such standards and as a result usually involves a much thinner coating of gold. Gold-filled jewelry can last a lifetime without showing signs of wear and makes for excellent and durable everyday-wear pieces.

More details:

Measures 15.5” around when fastened.

Very good condition: on the underside of the collar there is a minute indentation in two places; this is very faint and not visible when worn. The top side of the necklace is in perfect condition. The condition issues may be viewed in the detail photograph for this necklace depicting the underside.

Gold-filled (stamped)

41.2 grams

All purchases arrive in a gift box, wrapped with a ribbon.