Necklace length guide: where 40, 45 and 50 cm fall, and how to layer

Where does each necklace length fall?

A few centimetres make a big difference. This is roughly where each length falls:

Treat it as a guide. On a slender neck a necklace falls a little lower, on a fuller neck a little higher. Want to know exactly? Lay a piece of string around your neck to where you want the necklace, then measure it. You'll find more lengths in our necklace size guide.

Many of our necklaces have an extra jump ring at the clasp, so you can wear them at 42 or 45 cm. Others have a fixed length, which you'll find in the specifications.

Which length for which neckline?

• V-neck: follow the V. A pendant necklace at 45 cm falls right into it.
• Crew neck or T-shirt: go above the neckline (40 to 42 cm) or clearly over it (50 cm or longer). A necklace that sits right on the edge of your top disappears.
• Shirt with an open collar: 40 to 45 cm, so it just shows between the collar.
• High neckline: a long necklace of 50 to 55 cm over your clothes.
• Bare shoulders: short, on your collarbone or as a choker.

Layering: two or three layers

Layering is all about spacing. Keep 3 to 5 cm between each layer, and every necklace sits in its own place.

Two layers

A fine necklace at 42 cm and a pendant necklace at 45 or 50 cm. The pendant hangs at the bottom, where it has room.

Three layers

A fine chain at 42 cm, a pendant at 45 cm and a third chain with an extender at 50 cm. Vary the gold chains: plain, patterned, with a pendant. That way you see every layer on its own.

Two rules that always work: the finest chain at the top, and one pendant as the eye-catcher. Two pendants side by side end up circling each other, literally and figuratively.

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How to keep your necklaces from tangling

• Enough difference in length. Less than 3 cm and they slide over each other.
• Different chains. A slightly heavier chain moves less and keeps the rest in place. What each chain does is in types of gold chains.
• Put them on one by one. Start with the shortest and close each clasp before you reach for the next.
• Store them separately. Give every necklace its own place, hanging or flat, with the clasp closed.

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An extender: 8 cm extra

An extender makes your necklace 8 cm longer. Handy when you want to layer necklaces that are all the same length, when you're wearing a high neckline, or when a necklace sits just a little higher than you'd like. Hook it in at the clasp and your necklace falls lower straight away. Our extender comes in yellow gold and white gold, and with a tiny diamond too.

Gold Necklaces Real gold, from fine chains to pendants. Shop Gold Necklaces