It can be really hard knowing how things will fit when you shop online. Jewelry is especially tough because often (I’m guilty of this, too 🙋🏻♀️) there aren’t pictures showing a real person wearing it for reference. Taking these sorts of photos and getting them online can be hard for a one-person business like mine but I'm slowly chipping away at it, starting with necklaces.
Until all those photos go up I wanted to share a guide to help you visualize how a necklace will fit. These pictures should help give you a rough idea of what it would look like when you put it on.
Chain Necklaces
My neck (way up top) is about 13-1/2” around, while Zach’s (just above) is about 15-1/2”. Note that a larger neck will make the same chain sit slightly higher.
And because there’s nothing adorning the chain (and therefore weighing it down) the necklace will have a nice rounded drape.
Necklaces with Pendants
Here you can see that when a pendant hangs from a chain, the extra weight pulls the chain into a “V” shape and makes the necklace look longer.
When a website lists the length of a necklace they’re usually measuring the chain itself, so be sure to mentally add the height of the pendant (or whatever is hanging from it) to the bottom of that “V.” For example, my Asp Pendant and Selene Necklace are both 17” long, but the snake makes the Asp Pendant sit lower on my chest.
Bonus Tip
A necklace will fit differently if it’s a fine, delicate chain vs. a chunky chain with oversized links. Thicker chains are more voluminous and eat up more length; an 18” necklace with a thick chain will sit tighter around your neck than with a delicate chain.
It’s always great when you can actually try necklaces on in person — might I recommend one of my upcoming markets? In case you just can’t wait, I hope these images help you interpret necklace lengths when you’re shopping online.