Byzantine Chain

Byzantine chain is the one people pick up, turn over, and ask how it's made. Four links folded into each other in a pattern that looks woven, rolls under your fingers, and catches light from every angle rather than one. It's slow to make, which is why the high street doesn't stock it and why it's one we've always carried.

This collection gathers every piece we do in it, so you'll find chokers, necklaces and bracelets sitting alongside a few earrings, day collars and slip chains that use the same construction. All the chain is 316L stainless steel, silver or 18k gold plated, so it doesn't tarnish, doesn't fade, and stands up to being worn every day. Widths run from 5mm, which already has some weight to it, up to 12mm, which is a serious piece of metal.

Chokers are sized Small, Medium and Large by neck measurement with the 4 inch extender fitted. Necklaces run from 35cm to 90cm and bracelets in 2cm steps, and if you choose the extender option we fit it before it ships. Byzantine is heavier than it looks for its width, so if you're used to a 6mm Cuban, our 5mm Byzantine will feel about the same on the neck. Measure where you'd like it to sit before you pick.

Necklace, choker or bracelet?

The necklace at 45cm or 50cm is what most people come for; the weave sits on the collarbone and reads like sculpture without a pendant. The choker puts the same weave at the throat and pairs with a plain 2mm chain below it. The bracelet is the easiest way to try the link, and it sits well beside a steel watch. The O ring day collar is a 10mm Byzantine with a seamless ring at the front.

What length do I need?

Necklaces: 35 to 90cm. 45cm at the collarbone is the standard. 50cm sits just below and suits a broader frame. 55cm or 60cm on the chest if you want it to hang. Chokers: Small (11 to 15 inch necks), Medium (13 to 17), Large (15 to 19), extender included. Bracelets: 16, 18, 20 or 22cm; measure your wrist snug and add 2cm, because a woven chain sits taller on the wrist than a flat one.

Silver or gold?

Byzantine shows texture, and gold shows it more, because every face of the weave throws light. Gold Byzantine reads baroque. Silver reads like chainmail, which is what it is descended from. Both are the same 316L steel underneath, so choose by look.

Will it tarnish or turn my skin green?

No. A woven chain has more surface than a flat one and would show tarnish first if it could tarnish; 316L stainless steel does not oxidise. The silver has no plate to wear through. The gold Byzantine is plated over that steel rather than brass, so the plate is not being pushed off from underneath and there is no copper to mark the skin.

Can I wear it in the shower?

Yes. The only care a Byzantine wants is a rinse in fresh water after the sea, because salt lodges in the weave, and a dry with a cloth.

Is it hypoallergenic?

For most wearers, yes. The weave puts a lot of metal against the skin, which is exactly when the grade of steel matters, and this is 316L.

How should I care for it?

Rinse and dry. If fluff gathers in the weave, a soft toothbrush under the tap clears it. Steel Byzantine does not need polishing and does not need to be stored apart from other chains.