The number on a necklace is the length of the chain, not the size of your neck. That trips people up more than anything else in jewelry: a 16 inch chain is not for a 16 inch neck, it is a 16 inch loop that hangs where the loop hangs.
So measure the loop. Take a shoelace, drape it the way you want the chain to fall, and hold the point where the pendant should land. Pinch the lace there, take it off, and lay it flat against a ruler. That number is the chain you want.
Where the common lengths land
On most adults these are the landmarks. Bodies differ, and that is what the shoelace settles, but the order never changes: every extra inch drops the pendant further down.
| Length | Where it sits | What it suits |
|---|---|---|
| 14 in | High on the throat | A choker look; tight on a larger neck |
| 16 in | On the collarbone | The everyday length, shows above a crew neck |
| 18 in | Just below the collarbone | Open collars, layering under a shorter chain |
| 20 in and over | On the chest | A lariat or a long pendant over a sweater |
Why our letters are 16.5 inches
Our letter pendants are 16.5 inches with a two inch extender, so one piece covers 16.5 to 18.5. Closed, the letter sits on the collarbone; open, it drops just under it. That is the span most people actually wear, and it saves buying two chains to find out which you prefer.
The extender is a plain chain with the clasp at the end, so you can fasten it anywhere along its length rather than only at the last link. A quarter inch either way matters more on a short chain than people expect.
Bracelets and anklets are measured differently
A bracelet is measured around the wrist bone and wants about half an inch of slack, so ours run 6.3 to 7 inches with an extender. Too tight and the clasp digs in at a desk; too loose and it slides over the hand.
An anklet is measured around the ankle bone, not above it, and wants more slack still so it can turn as you walk. Ours are 8.3 to 9.5 inches with an extender. If you are between sizes on an anklet, take the longer one.
Stacking without a tangle
Two chains want at least two inches between them. At less than that they ride onto the same spot, cross and knot, and you spend the evening untwisting them. A 16.5 inch pendant over an 18.5 inch chain works; two 16.5 inch chains do not.
If you want three strands, a layered set solves it in one clasp: the gap is fixed by the piece rather than by luck. Our layered necklaces are built that way, and the upper strand is deliberately plain so it frames rather than competes.
Every length on this page is measured the same way as the one printed on every card in the CAROVO range.
Questions