40, 45 or 50 cm? It may seem like a small difference, but a few centimeters can give your necklace a completely different look. You might prefer to wear one necklace higher up on your neck, while you want another to hang a little lower. And if you like combining multiple necklaces, the length naturally matters too.
But how do you know which necklace length to choose? It mainly depends on what you like and how you want to wear your necklace. We’ll show you how different lengths fall, what to look out for, and which combinations are fun to try.
What necklace lengths are available?
At Just Good Jewellery, you’ll usually find necklaces in lengths of 32, 40, 45, 50, 60, 70 and 80 cm. From short styles that sit close to your neck to long necklaces that can hang beautifully over your clothes.
This is approximately what you can expect from each length:
| Length | How does the necklace fall approximately? |
| 32 cm | Very short and close around the neck, if this length fits your neck circumference |
| 40 cm | Short, usually around the base of the neck or collarbone |
| 45 cm | Around the collarbone or slightly below |
| 50 cm | Below the collarbone, with a little more room for a pendant |
| 60 cm | Lower on the chest |
| 70 cm | A clearly longer necklace, often beautiful over clothes |
| 80 cm | Extra long, usually well over the chest |
How exactly a necklace falls varies from person to person. A 40 cm necklace may lie loosely around the collarbone on one person, while on another it sits much closer to the neck. The type of necklace also makes a difference. Therefore, use this overview as a handy starting point and try out the length if you are in doubt.
Short, medium, or long: which look do you like best?
You really don't need to overcomplicate choosing the right necklace length. Above all, think about how you want your necklace to look when you wear it.
A short necklace: 32 or 40 cm
Do you like jewelry that falls beautifully high around your neck? Then a short necklace is lovely to look at.
A 40 cm necklace, for example, can look really beautiful with a top with an open neckline. A fine chain is nice and subtle, while a short style with striking beads will catch the eye right away.
With 32 cm, you choose an even shorter look. Pay extra close attention to the fit with this size. For many adults, 32 cm is very short and not every neck circumference is suitable for it. Of course, the necklace should be comfortable to wear.
A medium-length necklace: 45 or 50 cm
Are you torn between 45 and 50 cm? Then it helps to think about where you want the necklace to fall.
With 45 cm, you often wear a necklace around your collarbone. That is lovely for a fine necklace, but also for a style with a small pendant.
A 50 cm necklace usually falls a little lower. This gives a pendant more room and you often see the necklace better when you wear, for example, a blouse with a few buttons open.
Both lengths are also very nice to combine with a shorter necklace.
A long necklace: 60, 70 or 80 cm
A long necklace can give a completely different effect to your outfit. Think of a striking chain over a simple shirt, or a long necklace with a pendant with a sweater.
With 60 cm, you choose a length that falls clearly lower than a 45 or 50 cm necklace. At 70 and 80 cm, that difference becomes even greater.
By the way, long necklaces are not only nice on their own. Combine, for example, a 45 cm necklace with a 70 cm one. This way, every necklace gets plenty of room.
Which necklace length suits your neckline best?
Your clothes can help you choose. Sometimes you want your necklace to fall beautifully on your skin, while with another outfit you want to wear it over your clothes.
With a round neckline
Try a short necklace that remains visible just above the neckline. A longer necklace can also be nice, especially if it falls clearly over your shirt. Make sure the necklace does not rest exactly on the edge of your clothes, unless you like that effect.
With a V-neck
A necklace with a pendant can fall very nicely into the opening of your V-neck. With 45 or 50 cm, you have several options, depending on how deep the neckline is. You get the best result when the pendant has enough room and does not half disappear behind your clothes.
With a blouse
Opening a few buttons gives room for a short or medium-length necklace. Think of a subtle 40 cm necklace or a slightly longer 45 cm style. Want to stand out more? Then you can also try a chunkier necklace.
With a turtleneck or high-neck top
A longer necklace can be really nice here. A 60, 70 or 80 cm style falls over the fabric and remains clearly visible. Choose, for example, a striking link or a longer necklace with a pendant.
Above all, see these ideas as inspiration. It is your outfit, so wear the combination that makes you happy.
Combining necklaces: how to choose the right lengths
Wearing two or three necklaces together is a fun way to get more out of your jewelry. You can mix different links, add a beaded necklace, or choose a pendant that falls a little lower.
The trick is to keep enough difference between the lengths, so you can see every necklace clearly.
These are combinations you can try:
- 40 + 45 cm: a subtle layered look, where the necklaces fall fairly close together.
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40 + 50 cm: a bit more difference in length, for example with a fine necklace on top and a more striking style underneath.
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40 + 50 + 60 cm: three different layers. Nice if you like wearing multiple necklaces at once.
- 45 + 70 cm: a shorter necklace together with a long necklace for a greater difference in length.
You also don't need to keep all the necklaces equally fine or equally striking. A chunky chain can look really nice next to a subtle necklace. And a colorful beaded necklace gives a completely different look.
With necklaces with pendants, also pay attention to the pendants themselves. Two necklaces of different lengths can still end up at almost the same height if a large pendant is attached to the shortest necklace.
And do your necklaces sometimes get tangled? That can also happen when you wear different lengths. With a little more space between them and different types of links, you can try out which combination is the most comfortable for you to wear.
A necklace with a pendant or charm? See where it ends up
With a necklace with a pendant, the necklace length is not the only important thing. The pendant can make the whole thing look longer and determines where your eye goes.
A small pendant on a 45 cm necklace, for example, gives a completely different effect than the same pendant on a 60 cm necklace.
Want to wear a pendant beautifully at your collarbone? Then try a shorter or medium-length necklace. If you like your pendant to fall lower on your outfit, you can look at a longer necklace.
This is also useful to know if you are assembling a piece of jewelry yourself. Look not only at the necklace you like, but also at how the charm or pendant falls on it. Together they determine the final look.
Why can a beaded necklace fall shorter?
With a beaded necklace, something else also plays a role: the size of the beads.
A necklace with larger beads can fall tighter or higher than a fine chain of the same stated length. This is because the beads take up more space on the inside of the necklace.
Especially with larger beads of, for example, 10 or 16 mm, that difference can be noticeable. A slightly longer necklace can then be more comfortable.
At Just Good Jewellery, we take this into account as much as possible during design. That is why we make some beaded necklaces slightly roomier.
Are you in doubt about the length? Then look not only at the number of centimeters, but also at the shape and size of the beads.
Does your necklace have an extension chain?
That is handy to check before you choose a necklace.
Many necklaces from Just Good Jewellery have an extension chain of approximately 5 cm. With this, you can decide whether to wear the necklace a little shorter or longer.
A 40 cm necklace with a 5 cm extension chain, for example, can be worn up to approximately 45 cm. That is nice if you want to combine your necklace with different outfits or need just a little more room.
Not every necklace has such an extension chain. Therefore, always check the product information to see which length and adjustment options your favorite has.
This is how you discover at home which necklace length suits you
Do you still have no idea whether you like 40, 45 or 50 cm best? Then you can very easily try it out yourself.
Take a piece of string, ribbon or a flexible measuring tape. Place it around your neck as you would wear a necklace and determine where you want it to fall. Then measure the total length. Feel free to try a few different sizes and see in the mirror what you think looks the best.
Do you already have a necklace that fits perfectly? Then you can also lay that flat and measure the total length. This way, you immediately have a handy starting point for your next necklace.
We have a separate explanation with a size image that you can look at at your leisure.
And which length do you choose when you give a necklace as a gift?
Giving a necklace as a gift is fun, but choosing the length is a little more difficult when you cannot try it on yourself.
Therefore, take a look at what necklaces she already likes to wear. Are they mostly short necklaces that fall around her neck, or does she choose longer styles with a pendant more often?
If you have no idea, then 40, 45 and 50 cm are handy lengths to compare. A necklace with an extension chain can also be nice, because she can then adjust the length a little.
Our favorite tip? Do not only choose a necklace that you think is beautiful, but above all look at what she likes to wear most.
So, which necklace length will it be?
If you want a short necklace that falls beautifully high, you can start with 40 cm. Looking for a little more room around your collarbone, look at 45 or 50 cm. And for a longer look, 60, 70 and 80 cm are fun to try.
But maybe you do not need to have one favorite length at all. Precisely by alternating and combining different necklaces, you can always create a different look.
