18K gold plated double herringbone necklace: a layering example

How to layer necklaces: a practical guide

UpperEast Jewels

Two or three necklaces worn together instantly lift a simple outfit, but get one length wrong and they overlap and cross over. If you’re wondering how to layer necklaces without ending up with a knot round your neck, the answer comes down to three choices: lengths, thicknesses and pendants. Here are the practical rules of layering, the mistakes to avoid and three combinations measured in centimetres.

How to layer necklaces: start with the lengths

The first rule of necklace layering is to make each chain sit at a different point. As a rough guide, depending on your neck and build:

  • 35–40 cm: at the base of the neck, a choker look;
  • 40–45 cm: on the collarbones, the everyday length;
  • over 50 cm: down towards the chest, easy over jumpers and buttoned-up shirts.

Leave at least 4–5 cm between one necklace and the next: with less than 3 cm the chains tend to overlap. Our double necklaces, the Double Figaro Necklace and the Double Herringbone Necklace, follow the same logic, with 7 and 5 cm between the two chains.

If a necklace has an extender, use it to adjust the gap: the Blue Flower Necklace is 42 cm plus a 5 cm extender, the Rainbow Choker 35 plus 5, and the Enamel Flowers Necklace adjusts from 40 to 45 cm.

Thickness: mix fine chains with bolder ones

Three identical chains blur into one strip: alternate a fine chain with a bolder one, so the eye can tell the layers apart. Two examples: the Mini Solitaire Pendant has a delicate 1 mm chain, while the Tubogas Choker is a spiral tube of about 6 mm that sits at the base of the neck.

Texture counts too: the Paperclip Chain Necklace, with its long rectangular links, looks good on its own or under other chains, while the Double Herringbone Necklace pairs a flat herringbone chain with a twisted rope chain.

One exception: a very chunky chain, like the Curb Chain Necklace, with links of about 9 mm, works better on its own: it already fills the neckline.

Pendants: one star, the rest supporting cast

When you layer, only one pendant should catch the eye; the others stay plain or minimal. A good star is the Star Sign Medallion, personalised and 18 mm across, or the irregular baroque pearl (18–22 mm) of the Baroque Pearl Pendant. A good supporting detail is the 4 mm cubic zirconia on the Mini Solitaire Pendant.

A tennis necklace counts as a star too: pair it with plain chains, not another big pendant. For a small detail, the Three Stars Charm (a little plate with three tiny stars, 4 mm jump ring) clips onto a chain you already own, like the Paperclip.

Double necklaces, ready-joined: layering in one go

If you don’t want to fasten several clasps behind your neck, double necklaces are the shortcut: two matching chains joined on the same clasp, with the gap already worked out.

Want a third layer? Add it shorter, not longer. The Rainbow Choker at its shortest (35 cm) above the Double Herringbone Necklace (40 and 45 cm) gives you three necklaces 5 cm apart.

Three ready-made combinations, with measurements

Everyday, understated

Mini Solitaire Pendant (40 cm) and Star Sign Medallion (45 cm): a 5 cm gap, the medallion as the star and the solitaire in the background. With a T-shirt, an open-neck shirt or a crew-neck jumper.

A touch of colour

Rainbow Choker (35 cm plus a 5 cm extender) and Initial Necklace (42 cm). With the choker at its shortest the gap is 7 cm: the colour stays at the base of your neck, and the 12 mm initial drops onto your collarbones.

For the evening

Tubogas Choker and Baroque Pearl Pendant (45 cm chain): the tubogas traces the base of your neck, the pearl drops lower, and thickness and pendant don’t compete. Perfect with a V or square neckline.

Mistakes to avoid when you wear several necklaces

  • Lengths too close together: with only 1–2 cm between them, the chains overlap and cross.
  • Two big pendants: they touch, twist round and neither stands out.
  • All the same thickness: it looks flat, like one wider chain.
  • Too many necklaces: two or three are enough to start with; any more and your neck gets crowded.
  • Ignoring the neckline: with a roll neck, choose lengths that fall below the collar of the jumper; with a V-neck, let the longest one follow its line.
  • Storing them all together: in the same pouch they tangle. Keep them separate or hang them up.

A tip for putting them on: fasten the shortest first, then the others in order of length. And to make them last longer, take them off in the pool and at the beach: you’ll find more tips on the jewellery care page.

Layering is built one piece at a time: start with a ready-made double necklace or a basic chain and add a pendant when you feel like it. In the necklaces collection you’ll find chains, pendants and double necklaces in 18K gold plated stainless steel: compare the lengths and choose the combination that feels like you.

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