You've found a beautiful necklace, but which length should you choose? 40, 45 or 50 cm? It may seem like a small difference, but those few centimetres can give your necklace a completely different look. Especially if you like wearing multiple necklaces together or want to add a beautiful pendant.
At Just Good Jewellery, 40, 45 and 50 cm are our best-selling necklace lengths. It's no wonder, as these medium-length necklaces can be worn in all sorts of ways. A delicate necklace close to your neck, a striking link that sits a little lower, or different lengths together for a lovely layered look.
But which length suits what you like best? We'll show you the difference!
What is the difference between 40, 45 and 50 cm?
The biggest difference, of course, is how high or low your necklace sits. A 40 cm necklace usually sits a little higher, 45 cm gives it just a little more room, and a 50 cm model often falls a little further down your collarbone.
Take a look at the photo below. Here you can see how different necklace lengths look when worn together.
The photo also shows how beautifully different links can complement each other. The necklaces differ not only in length, but also in style and thickness. This means that each necklace creates a slightly different effect.
These are the main differences:
| Length | How does the necklace sit? | Nice if you... |
| 40 cm | High on the neck, around the base of the neck or collarbone | Like wearing shorter necklaces |
| 45 cm | Around the collarbone or slightly below | Want a medium-length necklace with a little extra room |
| 50 cm | Usually below the collarbone | Want to wear a pendant a little lower or like combining necklaces |
How exactly a necklace sits varies from person to person. Your neck circumference and body shape have an effect on this, as does the style of the necklace. Therefore, use the photo as an example of how the lengths may fall.
A 40 cm necklace: beautiful and high on your neck
Do you like necklaces that sit a little higher? Then 40 cm is a nice length to try.
A delicate 40 cm necklace, in particular, can look beautiful with a top with an open neckline. Think of a minimalist link chain or a subtle design with small details.
But a shorter statement necklace can also be very nice. Precisely because it sits a little higher, it draws attention to your neck.
And are you crazy about layering? Then 40 cm is a nice length for the top necklace in your combination.
How about a delicate 40 cm necklace with a slightly coarser 50 cm link chain underneath? This gives each necklace its own space and allows you to mix different styles.
Do pay attention to the fit. On some people, 40 cm sits quite close around the neck. If you don't find that comfortable, you're better off trying a slightly longer necklace.
A 45 cm necklace: just a little more room
Five centimetres longer may not sound like a big difference, but you can really tell between 40 and 45 cm.
A 45 cm necklace often falls around your collarbone or slightly below. This is a nice length if you want a necklace that doesn't sit very high, but also doesn't fall too far down.
We think 45 cm is great for a delicate necklace with a small pendant, for example. The pendant gets just a little more room, allowing it to remain beautifully visible.
A 45 cm link chain is also a nice choice. You can wear it on its own or combine it with a shorter design.
Do you like wearing three necklaces at once? Then 45 cm can be exactly the middle layer, for example between 40 and 50 cm.
And of course, you don't have to choose three identical links. A delicate necklace, a design with small beads, and a coarser link can form a very nice combination together.
A 50 cm necklace: slightly longer and great with a pendant
Do you want your necklace to fall a little lower? Then take a look at 50 cm.
This length often gives a little more room around your neck and lets a necklace or pendant fall slightly lower.
This can be a nice choice, especially with necklaces with a charm or pendant. A small round charm on a 50 cm necklace, for example, gives a completely different look than the same charm on a shorter design.
Do you like wearing a blouse with a few buttons undone or a top with a slightly deeper neckline? Then 50 cm can fall beautifully, depending on where the neckline falls.
This length is also great for layering. Combine a minimalist 40 cm necklace with a more striking 50 cm link chain, for example.
Or turn it around: a statement necklace a little higher on your neck and a delicate necklace with a small pendant underneath. That can look just as nice!
Is a five-centimetre difference really that much?
Yes, it can certainly make a difference. Especially when you see two lengths directly next to each other.
However, there is one important thing to know: an extra five centimetres of necklace length does not mean that the bottom of your necklace will hang exactly five centimetres lower.
The extra length is distributed over both sides of the necklace. How much lower the necklace ultimately falls also depends on the shape of the necklace and how it lies around your neck.
That is why you sometimes see a different difference with a link chain than with a necklace with a heavy pendant.
Our tip? Look mainly at where you want your necklace to fall. At your collarbone, just below it, or preferably a little lower? That makes the choice between 40, 45 and 50 cm a lot easier.
Which length is nice with a pendant or charm?
Do you want to wear a necklace with a pendant? Then look not only at the necklace length, but also at the pendant itself.
A small pendant on a 40 cm necklace can fall beautifully high on your neck. With 45 cm it gets a little more room and at 50 cm it usually hangs a little lower.
A larger pendant can also make the whole thing look longer.
At Just Good Jewellery you will find different necklaces with pendants and options to personally compose a piece of jewellery.
Do you like minimalist jewellery? Then a small charm on a delicate necklace can be very nice. If you want to stand out a little more, take a look at a larger pendant or a striking link chain.
And do you want to have a charm engraved with an initial, name or date? Then it is extra nice to also take a look at what height you want to wear that personal pendant at.
The available necklace lengths and options differ per piece of jewellery, so always take a look at the product information.
Combining two or three necklaces? Try these lengths
Why choose one necklace length when you can also wear them together?
In our photo you can already see how nice it is to combine different lengths and links.
With 40, 45 and 50 cm you can make these combinations, for example:
40 + 45 cm: two necklaces close together
Nice if you like a subtle layered look. Try a delicate 40 cm necklace with a slightly more striking 45 cm design, for example.
Because the length difference is small, it can be nice to choose different types of links. This way, each necklace gets its own look.
40 + 50 cm: a little more difference in length
We think this is a very nice combination if you want to show off both necklaces well.
Choose a minimalist 40 cm necklace with a 50 cm link chain underneath, for example. Or combine a short bead necklace with a longer necklace with a pendant.
40 + 45 + 50 cm: three layers
Do you like wearing multiple necklaces at once? Then this combination is definitely worth trying.
By wearing three different lengths, a layered look is created in which you can play with delicate links, larger links and personal details.
Do pay attention to any pendants. A pendant on the shortest necklace can end up so low that it almost falls against the middle necklace.
And do your necklaces sometimes get tangled? Unfortunately, this can also happen with different lengths. More space between the necklaces and different designs can help to find a combination that is comfortable to wear.
Why can a bead necklace fall differently?
Do you have a nice bead necklace in mind? Then there is one more thing to take into account.
A 45 cm bead necklace can fall differently than a delicate link chain of the same length. Especially larger beads take up more space on the inside of the necklace, which can make it sit a little higher or tighter.
With beads of, for example, 10 or 16 mm, that difference can be noticeable.
At Just Good Jewellery, we take this into account as much as possible during the design process. That is why we make some bead necklaces just a little roomier.
So look not only at the length in centimetres, but also at the design you choose.
Handy: a necklace with an extension chain
Are you torn between 40 and 45 cm? Then an extension chain can be very handy.
Many necklaces at Just Good Jewellery have an extension chain of approximately 5 cm. This allows you to wear the necklace at different lengths, depending on the clasp options.
A 40 cm necklace with a 5 cm extension chain can, for example, often be extended to approximately 45 cm.
This way you can choose a shorter look one time and wear your necklace a little lower another time.
Not every necklace has an extension chain, so always take a look at the product to see what options are available.
Are you still torn between 40, 45 and 50 cm?
Then we would simply try it out.
Do you already have a necklace at home whose length you like? Lay it flat and measure it from clasp to clasp. This way you know which size you can use as a starting point.
You can also use a piece of string or ribbon to try different lengths. Place it around your neck, see where it falls, and then measure the total length.
Feel free to wear the same top or blouse as you would with the new necklace you would like. Then you will immediately see how the length works with your neckline.
We also have a separate guide on determining your necklace length, including a handy size guide.
40, 45 or 50 cm: which do you choose?
Do you want a necklace that falls beautifully high on your neck? Then start with 40 cm. With 45 cm your necklace gets just a little more room and at 50 cm it usually falls a little lower.
And maybe you will discover that you like two different lengths best. A delicate necklace a little higher, a more striking link underneath, and possibly a pendant to make the combination personal.
Look mainly at how you like to wear your jewellery. Because those few centimetres may just make the difference between a necklace you like and one you would prefer to wear every day.
