Choosing Necklace Chains for Pendants and Charms

Why the chain deserves as much thought as the pendant

You have found the piece — a carved black onyx cameo, a polished agate cabochon, a small sterling charm that has been on your wish list for months. The chain, though, is the part that decides whether you actually wear it. A poorly matched chain twists, stretches, digs into your neck or lets the pendant flip to the wrong side, and a heavy pendant on a delicate chain is a break waiting to happen. The three most useful chain types for pendants and charms are the cable, the curb and the box. Each has a distinct way of behaving, and choosing between them comes down to three things: how much your pendant weighs, how you want it to sit, and how much movement you can tolerate.

Cable chains: the versatile everyday choice

A cable chain is made of oval links, each turned ninety degrees from the one beside it, so the chain looks like a neat row of tiny rings. It is the most common chain in jewellery boxes, and for most pendants it is the sensible default.

• Best for: everyday pendants up to around 5g, charms, small onyx beads and slender drops.
• Strengths: flexible, inexpensive, easy to shorten, and light against the skin. Pendants with a wider jump ring slide along it freely, which lets you adjust the position of the pendant without touching the clasp.
• Watch out for: very fine cable links (0.8mm and under) can kink, stretch or open under a heavy load. If you can bend a link with your thumbnail, the chain is too fine for anything substantial.

For a mid-weight onyx pendant, a cable chain of 1.2mm to 1.6mm in sterling silver or 9ct gold gives a good balance of strength and comfort.

Curb chains: weight, shine and a smooth feel

Curb links are flattened and twisted so they lie flat against each other, giving a dense, continuous ribbon of metal. The effect is a soft, unbroken shine rather than the gap-toothed look of a cable. Because the links sit close together, the chain has very little give, and that rigidity is exactly what makes it good for heavier pieces.

• Best for: substantial pendants and charms from about 5g upwards, particularly large cabochons in onyx, agate or jasper where the setting alone adds weight.
• Strengths: strong for its diameter, sits flat and comfortable, and handles a pendant that swings without stretching.
• Watch out for: the gaps between links can be tight for a chunky jump ring, so check that your pendant's ring passes over the chain comfortably. Very fine hair may catch slightly on the flat edges at the nape. Curb chains are usually measured across the width of the link, so "2mm curb" means each link is roughly 2mm wide — a good starting point for a pendant of 5g to 10g.

Box chains: sleek, strong and stay-put

A box chain is built from square links that interlock to form a smooth, near-solid tube. It is the most modern-looking of the three and, gram for gram, one of the strongest.

• Best for: pendants you want to keep centred — a single onyx drop, a small initial charm, a fixed pendant that should not slide about.
• Strengths: the pendant tends to stay where you place it, the surface is smooth against the skin, and a 1.5mm box chain will happily carry a pendant that would overwhelm a cable chain of the same width.
• Watch out for: box chains are less flexible, so avoid sharp bends, which can kink the links permanently. Fine hair can also work its way into the seams. Inspect a box chain near the clasp regularly, as that is where wear shows first.

Matching chain width to pendant weight

Weight, not looks, should set your minimum chain width. A quick working guide:

• Under 2g: 0.8mm to 1.0mm cable, or a delicate 1mm box chain.
• 2g to 5g: 1.2mm to 1.6mm cable or box.
• 5g to 10g: 1.6mm to 2.2mm curb or box — this is the range most carved onyx pendants fall into.
• Over 10g: 2.5mm and above, or consider a belcher or rope chain built for the job.

Also check the pendant's bail or jump ring: it needs an internal opening at least twice the chain's width so it can move without jamming. If in doubt, weigh the pendant on kitchen scales and err on the heavier chain.

Length, clasps and keeping it comfortable

Heavier pendants hang better on shorter chains. A 45cm to 50cm chain keeps a weighty onyx piece close to the collarbone, where it moves less and pulls less on the neck; a 60cm chain lets a heavy pendant swing, which stresses both the chain and your shoulders. For clasps, a lobster claw is the most secure choice, with a spring ring acceptable for light pendants under 3g. Ask for soldered jump rings on any piece over 5g, and check the ring that joins the pendant to the chain every few weeks. Store necklaces hanging or flat rather than bunched in a box, keep perfume and chlorine away from both metal and stone, and clean dyed black onyx with warm soapy water rather than a silver dip. Choose the chain for the weight it must carry, and the pendant you love will stay where you put it for years.