Necklace size chart
The six lengths every necklace in the catalog is made in, with the centimetres the product page prints. The store rounds to the nearest 5 cm, so 18″ is sold as 45 cm rather than 45.72.
| Inches | Centimetres | Where it sits | Usually worn by |
|---|---|---|---|
| 14″ | 35 cm | Tight at the base of the neck: a choker on an adult. | Children up to about five. Rarely the right pick for an adult unless a choker is the point. |
| 16″ | 40 cm | At the base of the throat, just above the collarbone. | Children from six, and a close fit on a slim adult neck. The shortest length most women wear comfortably. |
| 18″ | 45 cm | On the collarbone. | The most popular length for women. Where a nameplate or a small pendant reads best, and the safe choice for a gift. |
| 20″ | 50 cm | Just below the collarbone. | The common length for men, and the safe choice for a woman when you don't know her build. Clears most necklines. |
| 22″ | 55 cm | At or just above the bust line. | Room for a larger pendant. The second layer in a stack, and a relaxed fit for men. |
| 24″ | 60 cm | Mid-chest. | A long, easy drop that sits over a sweater or a high neckline, and layers under an 18 or a 20. |
How to measure a necklace length
Three ways, in order of how often they are right.
- Measure a necklace you already own and like. Open the clasp, lay the chain flat, and measure end to end. Whatever that number is, you know it sits where you want it.
- Use a soft tape or a piece of string. Hold one end at the base of the neck and let the tape fall to where you want the chain’s lowest point, then double it. A string works the same way: mark it, then measure the string against a ruler.
- Go by the chart. When there is nothing to measure (a gift), 18″ for a woman and 20″ for a man is the answer that is almost never wrong.
Necklines and builds move every length by about an inch. The bust above is a typical adult frame; a broader neck lifts each arc, a slimmer one lets it fall further.
Who wears which length
Women
18″ is the default: it sits on the collarbone, works with almost every neckline, and is where a nameplate or a small pendant is easiest to read. 16″ is a closer fit for a slim neck or a bare neckline; 20″ suits a fuller build or a higher neckline; 22″ and 24″ are for pendants that want room, and for layering.
Men
20″ sits just below the collarbone and is the most common men’s length. 22″ is a relaxed fit and the usual choice for a pendant; 24″ falls to mid-chest. 18″ works on a slimmer frame and for a chain worn under a collar.
Children
14″ for children up to about five, 16″ from six to the teens. Both lengths are in the catalog on every necklace, so a child’s name necklace is the same piece as an adult’s, made shorter.
Pendants and nameplates add drop
The length is the chain’s. Whatever hangs from it falls lower by its own height, so a pendant an inch tall on an 18″ chain reaches where a bare 20″ chain would. A nameplate is cut in the chain’s line and adds almost nothing, which is why 18″ suits it so well; a pendant on a bail hangs a little lower again.
On a listing, say which one you mean. “18-inch chain” and “sits at the collarbone” are two different promises when there is a pendant in between.
Layering necklaces
- Two inches apart. 16″ over 18″, 18″ over 20″, 20″ over 22″. Closer than that and the chains tangle; further and they stop reading as a set.
- One nameplate per stack. Put it on the shortest chain, where it lies flat, and keep the longer layers plain or with a single small pendant.
- Mix the chain, not the metal. A fine cable under a paperclip reads as intentional; the same chain twice reads as a mistake. The chain types page shows the four we make side by side.
Questions
What is the most common necklace length?
18 inches (45 cm) for women, which sits on the collarbone, and 20 to 22 inches for men. If you are buying a gift and do not know the wearer, 18 inches for a woman and 20 for a man is the choice that is almost never wrong.
What necklace length is a choker?
A choker sits at the base of the neck: 14 inches on most adults, 16 on a broader neck. Chokers are usually made to that fit; a 14-inch chain in our catalog is sized for a child and reads as a choker only on a slim adult.
Which length is best for a name necklace?
18 inches. A nameplate sits flat on the collarbone at that length, which is where it is easiest to read in a photograph and in person. Go to 20 if the wearer prefers pendants lower, or if the name is long and the plate is wide.
Which necklace lengths does the catalog come in?
Every necklace in the catalog is offered in six lengths (14, 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 inches) and made to order in the length your customer chooses. The centimetre figures on the product page are the store's rounded ones: 35, 40, 45, 50, 55 and 60 cm.
Is an 18-inch necklace long?
No. It is the middle of the range and the length most women own. On the bust above it falls on the collarbone. 22 and 24 inches are the long lengths; 14 and 16 are the short ones.
Does the pendant change the length?
The chain length is measured end to end, clasp included, without the pendant. A pendant or a nameplate hangs below the chain's lowest point by its own height, so a 1-inch pendant on an 18-inch chain falls where a bare 20-inch chain would.