Choosing the Right Necklace Length For You - A Necklace Length Sizing Guide

March 12, 2019

Choosing a necklace length when shopping online can be tricky, especially if you don't have a go-to length you know you love, or if you are buying a gift. Here are a few tips on what you might want to take into consideration in order to make a good choice.

Grava Necklace with 16, 18 & 20 inch chains

Short Necklaces

The first thing to think about is how big the person's neck is. Necks, like people, come in all shapes and sizes, and a 16" necklace just won't fit comfortably on a larger scale person. So unless you are shopping for a petite person who you know likes to wear shorter necklaces, you'll probably want to start by thinking about a 18" or a 20" chain.

The next thing you might want to consider is what kind of neckline the person tends to wear, and where on her chest she will want the pendant to rest. Does she tend to wear v necks or scoop necks? In which case a 16" or an 18" can sit visibly above the neckline. Or is the necklace going to be worn with turtlenecks or lie over a shirt? In this case you'll want to go longer (at least 20") to be able to fit comfortably over the turtleneck.

And then the third concern is layering. Do you (or does the intended recipient) have a favorite necklace already that you still want to wear every day? In which case you'll want to measure that at home and choose a length either a couple of inches shorter or longer than that one so that they will sit well together. To measure a necklace at home you can stretch it out straight on a table and use a tape-measurer to measure the length from one end to the other, from the tip of the clasp, to the end of the jump ring at the other end.

Gravity Necklace with 30 inch chain

Long Necklaces

When choosing a longer necklace, you mostly want to take the person's height into account. A 30" necklace will probably be right for a medium to tall person, but for a more petite person you may want to opt for a 25"

I've taken a few photos of the various length options on myself to help illustrate the options. For context, I am 5'6" and have a fairly thin neck, so the 16" sits right below my collarbones. And if you still aren't sure from the photos, you can always cut a piece of string or yarn in the length you are considering, and hold it up around your neck as a sample and see if you like where it falls.

Generally you are taking two major things into account. Objectively does it fit or will it be too small? And then the more subjective one, which is how you want it to look. And for this there really are no wrong answers. Personally, I think it's great to have a bunch of length options on hand, just so you can always pair something nicely with whatever you are wearing.

And if you still aren't sure, feel free to ask me through the contact page. I want help make sure you are happy with your choice!

Gravity Necklace with 25 & 30 inch chains

Gravity Necklace with 25 inch chain

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