Chain Necklaces

The plain chain, the most underrated piece of jewellery

A pendant catches the eye. A chain does not, and that is precisely the point. A chain necklace tells no story, never dates, and is not aimed at anyone in particular. It simply lays a line of metal on the skin, and that line is enough to stop an outfit looking bare.

It is the piece you put on without thinking on mornings when you have no opinion, and the one you keep wearing when all the others have lost their appeal. It asks for no decision: nothing to match, nothing to explain.

The links, and what they change

The type of chain describes how the links fit together. It is what gives two chains of the same length completely different looks.

The fine chain is the most discreet. It sits under a shirt collar without adding bulk, layers easily and almost disappears. It is the thin chain necklace to choose when you want metal without effect.

The twisted rope chain catches the light in facets. At the same width, it shines more than a smooth chain without being any louder. This is the classic rope chain necklace.

The snake chain is flat, supple and continuous. It follows the neck like a ribbon: it is the most comfortable chain for everyday wear.

The chunky chain is the opposite of all the rest: wide and assertive, it is meant to be seen. A chunky chain necklace is enough on its own and needs no pendant.

Add to these the coffee bean chain, with its interlocking oval links (the coffee bean necklace), the tortoiseshell-effect link chain necklace, which brings texture rather than shine, the paperclip chain with its elongated links, and the ball chain, dotted with small metal spheres.

Fine or chunky: how to decide

Look at what you are wearing on top.

With a closed neckline (polo neck, buttoned shirt, thick jumper), the chunky chain works, because it has enough presence to hold its own on fabric. A fine chain would get lost there.

With an open neckline and bare skin, it is the other way round: the fine chain draws a line, the chunky chain overwhelms.

And if you are unsure, the answer is often both: a fine chain and a wider one layered together create two lengths and a contrast of texture. It is the simplest way to give depth to a flat outfit, and it needs nothing more than what you already own.

A chain you can put away without a knot

It is the flaw that makes people give up on a necklace, and it is almost never mentioned.

A chain that twists at the bottom of a bag and forms a hard knot that takes ten minutes to undo ends up in a drawer. The fix is one simple habit: store it flat in its box rather than in a heap.

Our chain necklaces for women are made in stainless steel, and that is an advantage, less visible but daily: it won't tarnish on skin and won't leave the green mark of common alloys. A chain is worn against the neck all day, which is exactly where perspiration is greatest.

The clasp, the other half of the story

A chain is fastened one-handed, in the hallway, often in a hurry. A clasp that resists is a necklace you eventually stop wearing.

Almost all our chains are adjustable: an extender chain lets you move from one length to another as you fasten it, with no mirror and no tools.

Which length, and where to go next

Our chains range from the short length, against the skin, to the mid length that falls just below the collarbone and goes with everything.

To sit higher, see our choker necklaces. To drop over the chest, our long necklaces. To add a motif to the chain, charm necklaces are built charm by charm, and the heart necklace remains the pendant you'll find most often in our collection.

As for colour, almost everything comes in gold and silver: a gold chain necklace or a silver one, you choose on the product page with the colour swatch.

Care

Take it off before the shower, the pool and the gym. Put on your perfume before your necklace, never after. Store it flat in its box rather than in a heap: that is what prevents knots. A soft, dry cloth is all it needs to get its shine back.

Every necklace is sent in its gift box, ready to give just as it is.