Which chain?

In jewellery, there is an overwhelming selection of different chains, with names that rarely give any clues as to what they might look like: belcher, box, figaro, snake, rope, cable, ball, curb … the list goes on. Not to mention any other material that can be used to hang pendants from: leather, suede, silk, rubber…

I don’t know about you, but I’ve always been quite particular about chains.

There are some styles I don’t like, and some I love, for example snake chains and box chains. I also particularly love this black rubber necklet, especially in combination with the silver ammonite charm pictured.

Of course, some aspects of choosing the right necklace for a pendant are practical: usually – unless you prefer other materials – you would choose a chain made from the same metal/alloy than the pendant.

It also makes sense to balance the style and appearance, i.e. to choose a delicate fine chain for charms and small pendants, and more robust chains for larger, heavier pendants.

But apart from these practical aspects I find that chains are largely a matter of personal taste and style. Sometimes you need to see and feel a pendant in your hand to decide which type and length of chain will complement it to fit your own unique style.

Maybe you have a particular outfit you want to match it to, or some other pieces of jewellery. Or maybe – like me – you just don’t like some types of chain.

That’s why I usually sell pendants without a chain, to give customers the freedom to take their time to choose their own – unless the chain is an integral part of the design, like in this example, where I have used a delicate trace chain with this sterling silver fish.

But what about in those cases where customers do want to add a chain, e.g. when they want to send their purchase directly as a gift to someone else?

In these cases, I offer a choice of a simple sterling silver box chain in two different lengths (40cm / 16’’ & 45cm / 18’’).

Box chains consist of cube-shaped links made from flattened round wire. They have a beautiful, smooth, contemporary feel and are also quite sturdy, so are well suited to a range of pendants.

Check it out in my Etsy store, Ampersand Design by HB.

If you’d rather have a look on your own, there are numbers of various chain style guides online – just type a search term like ‘types of chain’ into your search engine of choice and start researching – enjoy!