Chokers to Charm Chains: A Guide to Necklace Styles

A necklace is mostly about where it lands. The same pendant looks sharp at the collarbone and lost at the chest. So before style, learn length. Everything else follows from it.

First, the lengths

Most everyday necklaces are 16 to 18 inches, often with an extension so you can adjust.

Choker

A choker sits high and close. It suits open necklines, off-shoulder tops and anything strapless. Modern chokers are soft and beaded, not stiff bands, like our Beaded Zircon Accent Choker.

Pendant necklace

One chain, one focal point.

Small pendants disappear into the workday, like the Small CZ Flower Pendant. Larger ones carry an outfit alone, like the Emerald Zircon Pendant on a 20-inch chain.

Chain necklace

Sometimes the chain is the whole design. Each link type has its own character. A snake chain is smooth and fluid. A ball bead chain adds texture. Herringbone lies flat and catches light like ribbon. Paperclip links look modern and open.

Tennis necklace

A continuous line of stones, each the same size, running all the way around. It reads elegant with a saree and surprisingly cool with a white shirt. See the Wave Chain Zircon Necklace, which adds five drops below the line.

Layered necklace

Two or three necklaces of different lengths, worn together. The trick is to vary both length and weight: one fine, one textured, one with a pendant.

If you would rather not build it yourself, pick one that arrives layered. The Layered Pearl Necklace twists three chains into one. The Tennis and Tear Drop Set pairs a choker with a fine pendant chain.

Lariat and bolo

A lariat has no fixed centre. It ends in two loose tails that hang down the front, making a long vertical line. A bolo adds a slider so you choose how high it sits. Our Star Pearl Bolo Necklace has two tails of unequal length, each ending in a pearl.

Best with: V-necks and deep necklines.

Pearl strand

The classic row of pearls, now worn far less formally. A strand with a pendant, like the Pearl Sunburst Pendant Necklace, feels fresh and not at all like something borrowed from your grandmother. More in our pearl collection.

Charm necklace

This is the one you build. You start with a charm chain and add charms over time: a place, a pet, a win, a person. No two end up alike, which is why it is the style closest to our heart.

Matching necklace to neckline

• Round or crew neck: a princess-length pendant, or a short chain that sits above the fabric.
• V-neck: a pendant or lariat that follows the V.
• Collared shirt: a choker or tennis necklace inside the open collar.
• High neck: a longer chain worn over the fabric.
• Off-shoulder: a choker, or nothing at all.

Start with one chain you love, then add around it. Browse all necklaces, or the ones designed at Foramour.