Five centimeters decide whether a necklace gets worn or stays in the drawer. Our necklaces come in 40 cm (15.7 in) and 45 cm (17.7 in). Here you can read where the two sit, which one suits which neckline and how to measure in one minute.
On most people the 40 cm necklace rests on the collarbone. The pendant sits in the hollow just below, where the eye goes anyway. The 45 cm necklace hangs two to three centimeters lower, and the pendant lies freely on the skin or on the fabric, depending on the neckline. Both lengths are available for every necklace in the Signature collection, in 925 sterling silver and 14K gold-filled.
What is often forgotten: the length of a necklace is measured without the pendant. A teardrop or a raw stone of 8 to 10 mm hangs about one more centimeter below the lowest point of the chain, the moonstone at 12 to 14 mm a little more. A cylinder sits crosswise on the chain and adds almost nothing.
Two lengths, one pendant
45 cm is the classic length for a single pendant. 40 cm is shorter and sits higher, ideal over closed necklines and as the top layer in layering.
“You do not notice the right length. You notice the wrong one all day.”
I. Chain length: where 40 and 45 cm sit.
The fit depends on the neck, not only on the chain. On a slim, long neck the 40 cm necklace slips a little lower and looks like a short 45 cm one. On a fuller neck or with broader shoulders the 40 cm necklace sits close to the collarbone and the 45 cm becomes the length you wear every day. If you are torn between the two, take the 45 cm: it suits more necklines and lets the pendant hang freely.
About the prices: in silver the 40 cm necklace starts at 136 USD and the 45 cm necklace at 136 USD, in 14K gold-filled at 159 USD and 170 USD. If you already own a chain, take the pendant alone, in silver from 79 USD, in gold from 90 USD.
II. Neckline by neckline.
Crew neck and T-shirt: the hem usually sits just below the collarbone. The 40 cm necklace sits above it, neatly on the skin, with the pendant in the hollow. The 45 cm necklace would end right on the hem, and that is exactly what looks undecided. The rule: never on the hem, always clearly above or below it.
V-neck and shirt with two open buttons: the 45 cm necklace follows the line of the V, and the pendant points into the tip. This is the combination a single teardrop is made for. With a deep V, your own longer chain with one of our pendants works too.
Turtlenecks and closed blouses: here the pendant lies on the fabric, not on the skin. The 45 cm necklace sits well, and so does a longer chain of your own with “Pendant only.” The 40 cm becomes too tight over the collar.
Three necklines, three lengths
The hem is the line that decides. The necklace should end clearly above it (40 cm with a crew neck) or clearly below it (45 cm with a V-neck). On the fabric of a turtleneck it can be longer.
III. How to measure.
Four steps to the right length
1
String around your neck
Let it hang where the pendant should sit
2
Mark the ends
Where they meet at the back of the neck
3
Measure flat
39 to 41 cm: the 40 cm · 44 to 46 cm: the 45 cm
4
Add the pendant
Teardrop or raw stone about 1 cm, cylinder almost nothing
If you are between the two, take the longer one. One centimeter too long goes unnoticed, one centimeter too short bothers you all day.
You need a piece of string or a charging cable and a ruler. Put the string around your neck and let it hang where the pendant should sit. Mark the point where the ends meet and measure the length. If it is 39 to 41 cm, the 40 cm necklace is right, at 44 to 46 cm the 45 cm.
If you already have a necklace that fits well, lay it flat and measure it from clasp to clasp, without the pendant. That is the number to compare with. Necklaces sold as “chokers” are often 35 to 38 cm long and therefore sit tighter than our 40 cm.
Every necklace has a centimeter of leeway. If you are between two lengths, take the longer one: a necklace that is one centimeter too long goes unnoticed. One that is one centimeter too short bothers you all day.
IV. The lengths in numbers.
Lengths compared
Neckline and length
40 cm
Crew neck · T-shirt
Above the hem, pendant in the hollow
45 cm
V-neck · Shirt
Follows the line, pendant points into the tip
45 cm
Turtleneck · Blouse
Lies on the fabric, longer is fine too
40 + 45
Layering
Two layers, five centimeters of difference in length
Why it matters in the studio
Four things that make the choice easy.
01
Two lengths, every necklace.
Every stone and every cultured pearl comes in 40 cm and 45 cm. No stone is tied to one length.
02
Pendant without a chain.
With “Pendant only” every stone fits on a chain you already have, whatever its length.
03
Fine chain, smooth fit.
The square links interlock closely and lie smoothly on the neck, under every neckline.
04
Made for layering.
Five centimeters more chain means two to three centimeters of space at the neck. Enough room for two pendants one above the other.
In the end, the right length is the one you no longer think about. The chain lies flat, the pendant sits, and the neckline decides which of the two it is today.
Five centimeters that are best not noticed at all.
Carola
All necklaces are available in 40 cm, 45 cm or as a pendant alone.
View Signature
