The average size of a chain for a pendant is between 20 to 24 inches. When choosing a chain for a pendant, consider your neck measurements, height, body type, or the clothing you are most likely to wear with the pendant.
Consider all of these factors if you want the pendant to suit you well or the wearer if you buy it as a gift.
A pendant that suits you well may improve your whole outfit and overall appearance, which can help you make a statement or simply impress anyone whose eyes land on you.
The length of the chain and the position of the pendant can emphasize different parts of your body.
A longer chain will typically emphasize your collarbones and bust, while a shorter chain will draw more attention to your neck.
Read on further to find out how to choose the right size of your chain to suit both you and your pendant.
1. Consider your neck and its measurements
The thicker and shorter your neck is, the longer the chain should be to achieve the best aesthetic results. Don’t forget to consider the pendant itself – the width of the chain helps the pendant suit your neck.
Firstly, you need to measure your neck.
To do this, take a measuring tape and wrap it around your neck. Then, mark the spot where the tape meets itself with your finger. This is your neck circumference, which tells you how wide your neck is.
The circumference is critical to know if you want to purchase a shorter chain like a collar or a choker.
To measure your neck’s length, measure from the top of your collarbone to the bottom of your jaw.
Now that you know how long the chain should be depending on your neck size, you need to choose the right chain width.
The width of your chain is what connects your neck and the pendant visually. Usually, the larger your pendant is, the wider and thicker the chain should be.
2. Consider your height
The taller you are, the better you look wearing a longer chain. Short people should avoid long chains because it may look as though the chain might overwhelm them.
Also, a pendant location emphasizes the area or the body part the pendant falls on. If you want to highlight a certain area of your body, like your bust or chest, you can ensure the pendant falls on that area by choosing a 20 to 24 inches chain length.
On the other hand, if you would like to avoid emphasizing these parts, avoid a pendant that falls there.
3. Consider your body type
You can usually describe the type of your body in four categories; pear-shaped, athletic, hourglass-shaped, or shaped like an inverted triangle. Each of these body types can be enhanced by different chain and pendant sizes.
For the pear-shaped body types, the goal is to enhance the upper body. To do that, it is recommended to choose a thicker and longer chain between 18 to 24 inches, depending on your height. This will broaden your shoulders and focus the attention on your upper body.
However, if your pendant is too small, do not overdo the thickness as that could make the pendant lose its charm. In this case, just avoid the thick chains, and you should be good.
If you have an athletic body type, a chain of any length will work for you. In this case, it is up to you where you want to lay the focus on – that is where the pendant should fall on.
Hourglass-shaped body types can enhance the appearance of their curves by choosing a chain with a pendant that falls on their cleavage area. The right size of the chain depends on the height and neck size but is usually around 22 inches long.
Also, for this body type, you should consider the size of your pendant. If your pendant is bigger, choose a length that won’t let it fall too low into the bust area, as that could make it look out of place.
If your body is in the shape of a reversed triangle, which means your shoulders are wider than your hips, you might want to shift focus away from your upper body. A longer chain, over 24 inches, with a lower pendant can help you with that.
4. Consider your clothing
You should be able to pair your clothes with your pendant with the help of the right chain. Bear in mind the fit of your clothes, the occasion, and how formal your attire is.
Wear shorter chains for clothing in which your neck is openly visible. Shorter chains emphasize your neck, so you want to wear clothes that show your neck in full and give your pendant enough room to shine.
For instance, if you are wearing a choker pendant, it will stand out more if your neck is fully revealed.
In this case, you want to avoid any clothing with a higher collar, like a turtleneck sweater, for example.
Pair business attire with chains between 20 to 24 inches since this makes the pendant stand out in a classy manner.
Another great rule to keep in mind is to combine evening attire with longer chains. Since these longer chains are often perceived to be more elegant and charming, they go very well with evening dresses, especially if the color of your pendant goes well with the color of your dress.
Consider wearing the very long chains as a double style by wrapping them around your neck twice. Just make sure you wrap them in a way that leaves the pendant where you want it to hang.
Other things to consider
There are several other relevant things to consider when choosing a chain for your pendant other than its length or width. These are things like the pendant itself or the material from which the chain is made.
1. The pendant itself
More specifically, consider the color and material, the weight, and the size of the pendant.
Will there be any jewels within the pendant? This can affect the overall look the pendant offers.
If the pendant itself is heavy, it may drag the chain down. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, it is important to keep this in mind as that means the pendant might look longer, or it may emphasize different parts of your body.
The size of the pendant should suit the chain width. Avoid choosing a pendant too big for a thinner chain as it may look out of place.
2. The material of the chain
The chain’s material needs to go well with both you and the pendant.
Sometimes you can even make a pendant go well with your skin tone by choosing the right chain material. Yes, even if the pendant doesn’t suit you that much on its own.
For instance, gold generally suits people with either neutral or warmer skin tones.
On the other hand, a silver chain works very well with cooler skin tones.
A very common way to see your skin tone is to look at your veins, such as those inside your wrists.
If the veins appear to be blueish, chances are you have a cooler skin tone. However, if your wrists have a greener look to them, your skin tone is probably warm.
It is important to wear a chain with the same affinity (warm or cold) as is your pendant.
If your pendant is better suited for warmer colors and your chain is not, this detail may ruin the look altogether.
However, you can choose a neutral chain. A neutral color may help align your natural skin tone and the pendant.
Can you put a pendant on any chain?
Whether you can put a pendant on any chain depends on your chain’s width and the size of the ring your pendant is attached to. If the ring is larger than the width of the chain, then yes, you can put the pendant on that chain.
To attach your pendant, first, you need to open the chain as if you were about to put it on.
Then take the pendant and slide it onto your chain, making sure that it is facing forward. Bear in mind that one end of the chain may be wider than the other, so you can’t put the pendant on through there.
The final step is to see how your pendant looks on your chain. It is up to you to decide if they go well together.
Conclusion
The right chain’s size for your pendant depends on your neck measurements, height, body type, or the clothing you are most likely to wear with the pendant as well as its material.
Do you need a specific chain for your pendant? No more do you have to resort to standard chain size!
Order a custom necklace tailored to your pendant on Jewelers Connect.
You can choose these qualities yourself:
- The length of the chain
- The width of the chain
- The material of the chain
The deadline to receive the chain