Necklace and Chain Size Guide

Table of Contents

Standard Necklace and Chain Lengths

holyneckleces.com"Simply Beautiful" model displays the varying standard lengths available in most necklace and neck chains. With our almost foolproof help in choosing neck adornments, you can relax and enjoy the new piece of jewelry.

Women's Standard Necklace Sizes

Necklaces are manufactured to the following industry standard lengths:

Men's Standard Chain Sizes

Men's neck chains are manufactured to the following industry standard lengths:

Need a Special Length Necklace or Chain?

If you know you need a necklace or chain that is much larger or much smaller than the standard lengths available, you may consult our online specialists via live chat, phone or e-mail or visit a Reeds store to talk with our in-store specialists to find a suitable style to fit your needs.

If you have a specific style in mind, you will need to determine if a larger or smaller custom size of that specific desired style is available from the manufacturer.

Please use our Special Request form to specify the custom size and style you were looking for and we will do our best to accommodate your request by checking the availability and feasibility of rendering this item in the desired size with the manufacturer and/or expert jewelers, and then returning with a quote and timeframe.

Note that most custom orders will incur additional time both for getting quotes and the actual manufacturing as well as additional cost for custom construction. For example, adding more metal such as gold, silver or platinum, or additional gemstones to make a larger size, or reconfiguring the structural design of a piece to make it much smaller takes additional effort and cost for both materials and expert labor.

Please discuss your sizing options with your Holy Necklaces sales associate at your nearest Holy Necklaces store when you purchase it or you can chat with an online representative via our toll-free number or live chat.

Measuring Your Neck Size

Don't know what size your neck is? Most women do not, while most men know their collar size. To get the approximate measurement, you can use a sewing (soft) measuring tape. If you have a tape measure, that problem is solved. If you don't have a soft measuring tape but have a yardstick, ruler or stiff metal measuring tape, you could wrap a ribbon around the base of your neck, mark the spot where it meets, and then lay it against the yardstick or metal measuring tape to determine your neck size.

Choosing the Correct Necklace or Chain length

General Sizing for Necklaces and Chains

Once you know your neck size, a good rule of thumb is to choose at a minimum the second size up from your neck size. For example, for a man with a 17 ˝" collar (neck) size, a chain length of 20" is recommended at a minimum. An 18" chain would be too short. With women of a neck size of 15", the minimum recommended length would be 17-18" which is a step above the next standard length of 16". For example, necklaces that lie flat on the neck such as the Omega style, a 17" should be fine. Chains with heavy pendants on them will hang slightly longer as well.

Choosing Necklace Lengths for Women

The best thing about necklaces and chains for women is that different lengths are worn for different occasions and seasons. So you can almost always use a particular necklace for some occasion. If a cowl neck or turtleneck shirt (typically worn in the winter season) is chosen, a long necklace works better. A choker length of 16" doesn't work with a high neck blouse or with a larger neck size, while an 18" necklace will hang farther down on a petite woman. So the basic neck measurement - whatever that is - really helps when you are purchasing a necklace for a particular occasion. That basic measurement is essential when purchasing a short necklace, for both fashion and size reasons.

Choosing Chain Lengths for Men

Chain lengths for men are typically chosen based on the man's collar size and typically fall just at the collar bone. A slightly longer length should be chosen if it is to be worn with a pendant, cross, medallion, emblem or sports charm of some sort. You can also choose multiple lengths for a layered look. The most common length sold to men of average neck size is 20".