Chain Types
Chain types decide how a necklace wears, and the name on the label tells you more than the photo does. This is where we explain ours.
Cable is the plain round link, the oldest chain there is, and the one that takes any pendant. Cuban is the flat, interlocking link that lies close to the skin and catches light along its whole length; it's what people mean when they say "a chain". Figaro alternates long and short links in a rhythm you can see from a distance. Box is square in section, holds its shape, and never kinks. Belcher, called rolo elsewhere, is a round link with a flat inner edge that sits neatly against the skin. Foxtail is dozens of small links folded into a rope with no front or back. Paperclip is the long, flat, open link, and ours are the wide ones. Byzantine is four links folded into each other in a pattern that looks woven and rolls under your fingers.
Every one is hand sized and finished by us in 316L stainless steel, silver or 18k gold plated, so whichever construction you choose, it doesn't tarnish and you can keep it on. Pick the type below and you'll see it as a choker, a necklace and a bracelet, in the widths we do it.
How do I tell the links apart?
Cable: plain round links, one through the next. Box: square links in a straight line. Cuban: flat links that interlock and lie smooth. Figaro: three short links then one long, repeating. Belcher, also called Rolo: round links, thicker and more open than cable. Foxtail, also called wheat: fine links woven into a round rope. Paperclip: long flat oval links. Byzantine: four links interlocked into a dense weave.
Which link for a pendant?
Cable, box or Belcher. All three let a pendant hang straight and centred, and none of them competes with it. 2mm to 4mm for most pendants. Cuban works under a heavy pendant at 5mm or wider.
Which link to wear alone?
Cuban, Figaro or Byzantine at 6mm or wider. They have enough pattern or weight to be the piece. Paperclip at 15mm or 18mm. The plain links, cable and box, look bare on their own below 6mm.
Which link for layering?
Cable, paperclip and fine Figaro. Cable disappears, paperclip lies flat and does not knot, and a 3mm Figaro gives one layer a pattern. Keep the widths different so each chain sits at its own height.
Which width should I get?
2mm and 3mm are fine. 4mm to 6mm are everyday. 7mm and 8mm show. 10mm and 12mm are chunky and worn alone. On a bracelet, take one step thinner than you would at the neck.
Will any of them tarnish?
No. Every link is 316L stainless steel, silver or 18k gold plated over it, so none of them oxidise or leave a green mark, and all of them can stay on in the shower.
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