How to Layer Necklaces and Chains
Leave a clear gap between each length so chains do not sit on each other. Vary the widths. Keep to one pendant. Two layers is safe, three is the limit. Our chains adjust, which does most of the work.
Start with the lengths you own
Layering is a question about lengths before it is a question about styles. If two chains land within a centimetre of each other they tangle, rub and read as one thick untidy chain.
The lengths in our range are set per family, and each one is adjustable.
| Family | Length | Adjustable to | Sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fine chains, for example Luna Emerald and Vienna Clover | 40 cm | Plus 9 cm, so up to 49 cm | At the base of the neck when short |
| Pendant necklaces, for example North and Cannes | 49 cm | Plus 4 cm, so up to 53 cm | At or just below the collarbone |
| Cuban, Figaro, rope, wheat, snake and Vipera chains | 48 cm | Plus 3 cm, so up to 51 cm | At the collarbone |
That gives a usable spread from 40 cm to 53 cm without buying anything unusual. A fine chain worn at 40 cm and a Cuban chain worn at 51 cm are 11 cm apart, which is a clean two layer stack straight out of the box.
Leave a visible gap between layers
If you cannot see the skin or the shirt between two chains when you look down, the gap is too small.
In practice that means a difference of several centimetres between layers, not one. Where both chains are adjustable, set the shorter one to its shortest setting and the longer one to its longest, and you have made the most of what you own before spending anything.
Chains of the same length never layer. They sit on each other, they tangle, and the clasps end up in a knot at the back of the neck. If you own two at the same length, wear one.
How to combine widths
Put the wider chain on the longer length. That single rule covers most pairings.
Width is what stops a stack looking like an accident. Two chains of the same width at different lengths read as a mistake. Our chains come in 2 mm, 3 mm, 5 mm and 7 mm.
- 3 mm short with 5 mm long. The most reliable pairing there is, and the one to start with.
- 2 mm short with 3 mm long. Both fine. Quiet from a distance, detailed up close.
- 3 mm short with 7 mm long. A strong contrast. It works on a broader frame and it needs an open collar.
- 5 mm with 7 mm. Heavy. Possible, rarely better than either one alone.
The reason the wider chain goes lower is weight. A wide chain hangs, a fine chain sits. Put the fine one underneath and it gets pushed out of place all day.
How to mix textures and metal tones
Mix link types freely, and keep to one metal tone unless you have a reason not to.
A flat Cuban next to a twisted rope gives you two different surfaces catching light in different ways. A snake chain, which is almost smooth, next to a Figaro gives contrast without noise. What does not work is two chains with a similar rhythm at similar widths. A 3 mm rope and a 3 mm Vipera at close lengths look like one chain that has gone wrong.
Mixing gold and steel does work, but it needs a third thing holding it together, usually a watch that shares both tones. If you are unsure, stay with one tone and vary the texture instead.
Wear one pendant per stack
Two pendants fight for the same space, knock together and turn round.
Hang the pendant on the longest chain, so it sits below the others and has room. A pendant on the shortest chain sits on top of the chains underneath it and never lies flat.
Pendant necklaces in our range are 49 cm with 4 cm of adjustment, which puts a pendant at or just under the collarbone. Pairing one of those with a fine 40 cm chain above is the cleanest two piece stack we make.
How many layers is realistic
Three is the honest limit for daily wear. Two is easy and looks considered. Three works if the lengths are well separated and the widths step up as they go down.
Four is a project. It needs four distinct lengths, and it stops being something you put on without thinking, which was the point. Beyond three the chains interfere with each other, the clasps stack up at the back of the neck, and you spend the day adjusting.
How to keep a stack from tangling
Most tangles are made in a drawer, not on the neck.
- Take the layers off one at a time and store them separately.
- Give each chain its own pouch. Storing pieces loose together is also where scratches come from.
- Fasten every clasp before storing. An open chain finds another chain.
- Put the stack on after perfume and aftershave, never before. That is the fastest way to ruin a plated finish.
- Wipe each chain with a soft dry cloth after wear to take off the sweat that dulls a surface over months.
A stack to start with
If you want one combination rather than a set of rules: a 3 mm Cuban chain at its shortest setting with a 5 mm Cuban chain at its longest, or a fine Luna Emerald chain at 40 cm over a North necklace at 53 cm.
All of it is 316L stainless steel, with the gold versions 18k gold plated over the same steel, so a stack that rubs against itself all day does not tarnish and does not mark your skin. Jewellery carries our lifetime warranty against tarnishing, fading and accidental breakage.
The full range is in men's necklaces and women's necklaces, and the FAQ page has delivery, returns and warranty detail.
