Which necklace length to choose

Necklaces do not have a size the way rings do: they have a length, and the length is a choice. These are the standard lengths and where each one falls.

Where each length falls

How to measure yours in a minute

1. Take a piece of thread, a shoelace or a sewing tape.
2. Put it round your neck and lower it to the exact height at which you want the pendant to fall. In front of a mirror, not blind.
3. Mark the point with your finger or with a pen.
4. Stretch the thread out along a ruler and read off the centimetres. That is your length.

And the shortcut if you already own a necklace that hangs exactly the way you want: lay it out closed on a table in a straight line and measure the whole of it, clasp to clasp. That is the length you are after.

What really decides it

People tend to say the length depends on your height, and that is the thing that matters least. In real order of importance:

• The neckline. A polo neck swallows a 40 cm necklace. A V-neck calls for a pendant that falls inside the V, not on top of it.
• The size of the pendant. A large piece needs room: at 40 cm it sits squeezed against the neck. A small piece gets lost at 60 cm.
• The measurement of your neck. Not your height: your neck. It is why two people of the same height wear different lengths.

Layering several

The rule that works: 5 cm between one and the next. Any less and they tangle and ride over each other; any more and a gap opens up so that they look like two loose necklaces rather than one set. A classic trio is 40 – 45 – 50 cm.

And a practical warning: two fine chains rubbing against each other all day will scratch one another and, if they are plated, wear down exactly where they cross. It is worth it for the look, but it is worth knowing.

On our pieces

The length of every necklace is on the product page, under Details. If you cannot find the measurement for a particular piece, ask us before you buy: it is quicker than sending it back.

For rings, which do have a size, the guide with a calculator and a printable sizer is in the ring size guide. And if you want to go straight to the necklaces: gold-plated necklaces.