Dainty Necklaces

A dainty necklace is the chain you forget you're wearing until someone asks about it. Everything in this collection is 2mm to 4mm, in cable, box, foxtail, Figaro and fine Cuban. Silver or 18k gold plated, all 316L stainless steel, which matters more on a thin chain than a thick one: a fine plated alloy chain snaps and discolours, and a fine steel one doesn't.

These are the ones for wearing under things, over things, and with the pendants you already own. Our 2mm cable takes almost any pendant. Our 3mm box holds its shape better than anything else at that weight and doesn't kink. A 4mm foxtail catches light without shouting about it.

They're sold by length in centimetres, from 35cm to 90cm, and if you choose the extender option we fit it before it ships. Measure where you'd like it to sit, and if you're planning to layer two, keep them at least 5cm apart in length so they don't tangle. Most people buy a dainty chain as a second or third layer under something heavier. The ones who buy it alone wear it every day for years.

2mm or 3mm?

2mm is the finest chain we cut. It reads as a line at the collarbone, disappears under a collar, and carries a pendant up to about 20mm. 3mm is a little more visible, shows the link pattern up close, and carries pendants up to 30mm. If you are layering, mix one of each. If you are buying one chain to wear alone, 3mm.

What length do I need?

Dainty necklaces come in 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 70, 80 and 90cm. At 40cm a fine chain sits at the throat. At 45cm it lies on the collarbone, which is the length to buy if it is going to be worn alone. At 50cm it is a pendant chain. For layering, buy 40, 45 and 50cm, or 45, 50 and 55cm, so each chain sits 5cm below the last. The optional 4 inch extender adds up to 10cm to any of them.

Which link should I get?

Cable is round, plain and hides under a pendant. Box is square and sparkles. Cuban is flat and shows its pattern even at 2mm. Figaro alternates short and long links for a little rhythm. Foxtail is woven and moves like thread. Belcher is round and open. For a pendant, cable or box. For a chain worn alone, Cuban or Figaro. For a stack, one of each.

Will it tarnish or turn my skin green?

No, and on a fine chain this is the whole point. A 2mm plated chain has so little metal that the plate wears through in weeks. A 2mm stainless steel chain is solid 316L all the way through on the silver and 18k gold plated over steel on the gold, so nothing wears through and nothing turns green.

Will it break?

Not in normal wear. The clasps and jump rings on a fine steel chain are steel too, and steel jump rings do not pull open the way plated brass ones do. A 2mm chain will still break if it is yanked hard, so take it off for anything that involves a child grabbing your neck.

Can I wear it in the shower?

Yes. Fine steel chains are water resistant and can stay on. Dry them after; a wet fine chain under a collar is annoying rather than damaging.

Is it hypoallergenic?

For most wearers, yes. Fine chains sit close to the skin at the back of the neck, which is where a plated chain tends to cause a reaction first, and there is no plating on the silver here.

What comes in the box?

A black velvet pouch. Where a gift box is offered, you'll see it as an option on the product page, and a 2mm gold or silver chain is the safest jewellery gift there is.