A chain length guide starts with one number: the length in inches, measured end to end with the clasp closed. Our gold chains come in nine lengths, from 16 to 38 inches, and 18 inches is the length most of them are offered in, 35 of the 50 chains counted below. Every chain in our gold chains collection lists the lengths it comes in, so this guide reads those listings rather than general advice, and shows how to pick your own length before you buy.
The table counts every length offered on the 50 active chains in the collection whose listing and specification agree. It was read from the variants of every active chain in our gold chains collection, with the narrowest and widest chain offered at each length taken from the chain's listed width.
| Length | Chains offered at it | Narrowest to widest | Examples from the range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 in | 14 | 1.4 to 6.00 mm | Classic box, 1.4 mm; Super flex herringbone, 6.00 mm; Cuban chain choker |
| 18 in | 35 | 1.4 to 9.8 mm | Faceted Cuban, 4.50 mm; Wide paperclip, 9.8 mm; Bead chain, 2.30 mm, with extender |
| 18.5 in | 1 | 13.8 mm | Oval mariner, 13.8 mm |
| 20 in | 26 | 1.4 to 6.60 mm | Solid Figaro, 6.00 mm; Figaro, 6.60 mm |
| 22 in | 18 | 1.00 to 8.0 mm | Polished Miami Cuban, 8.0 mm; Adjustable franco, 1.00 mm |
| 24 in | 24 | 1.4 to 7.00 mm | Semi-solid Miami Cuban, 7.00 mm, white; Solid diamond-cut rope, 4.00 mm, rose |
| 26 in | 2 | 4.0 mm, and one adjustable | Solid Miami Cuban, 4.0 mm; Adjustable paperclip, 16 to 26 in |
| 30 in | 4 | 1.5 to 5.00 mm | Round wheat, 1.5 mm; Solid diamond-cut rope, 3.00 mm, white; Solid curb, 4.70 mm, white; Solid diamond-cut rope, 5.00 mm |
| 38 in | 1 | 4.2 mm | Bold paperclip, 4.2 mm, yellow |
Three patterns stand out once the lengths sit side by side. The middle of the range is crowded: 16, 18, 20, 22 and 24 inches, two inches apart, together hold almost every option, and only seven chains go longer. Twenty of the 50 chains come in a single length, and eleven of those twenty are 18 inches. And the very widest chains are the most fixed: the 13.8 mm oval mariner comes only at 18.5 inches, the 9.8 mm wide paperclip only at 18, and the 8.0 mm polished Miami Cuban only at 22.
Where Each Length Sits
Our size chart names necklace lengths by band. A chain of 14 to 16 inches is choker length, 16 to 18 inches is collar length, and 18 to 20 inches is princess length. The table below adds where each length sits when it is worn. Read it as approximate: the same chain falls differently on a slim neck and a broad one, and over a crew neck and an open collar.
| Length | Band on our size chart | Where it sits | Our chains offered at it |
|---|---|---|---|
| 16 in | Choker | At the base of the neck or on the collarbone | 14 |
| 18 in | Where collar meets princess | At the base of the neck or on the collarbone | 35 |
| 20 in | Princess, at its long end | A little lower than the collarbone | 26 |
| 22 in | Longer than princess | A little lower than the collarbone | 18 |
| 24 in | Longer than princess | Toward mid-chest | 24 |
| 20 to 24 in, for a man | Longer than princess | At about the center of the chest | see the rows above |
| 26, 30 and 38 in | Longer than princess | Measure with a string at the point you want | 7 |
The pattern is simple: 16 and 18 inches sit at the base of the neck or on the collarbone, each step to 20 and 22 inches sits a little lower, and 24 inches falls toward mid-chest. Past 24 inches, judge the length itself against a string or a chain you already own.
Do men wear 20 or 22 inch chains?
Both. For a man, a chain of 20 to 24 inches sits at about the center of the chest, and 20 and 22 inches are both inside that range, with 22 sitting a little lower than 20. Choose by where you want the chain to rest, measured with a string or a chain he already wears. In our range, 26 chains are offered at 20 inches and 18 at 22 inches.
What is the best chain length for a man?
For a man, the length to start from is 20 to 24 inches, the band that sits at about the center of the chest. Twenty inches sits a little higher in that band and 24 inches a little lower. If he already wears a chain he likes, measure it flat and buy the same length. The widest Miami Cubans in our range, the 8.0 mm polished and the 8.00 mm pavé-cut, come only at 22 inches.
What length should my chain be?
Choose your chain length by where you want it to sit, and test that point before you buy. Lay a chain you already wear flat and measure it, or drape a piece of string around your neck at the point you want, then measure the string. Buy that length, or the next one either side. If you cannot measure, 18 inches is where most of our range sits: 35 of our 50 chains are offered at it.
Is an 18 inch chain a choker?
No. On our size chart a choker is 14 to 16 inches, so an 18 inch chain is never called a choker on our pages. Eighteen inches is where the chart's collar length, 16 to 18 inches, meets princess length, 18 to 20 inches. For a choker, choose a 16 inch chain such as our Cuban Chain Choker Necklace, or an adjustable chain set to its shortest length.
The 16 inch options are fewer than the 18s, 14 chains against 35, and they run from the 1.4 mm Classic Box Chain in 14K yellow gold to the 6.00 mm super flex herringbone. If the chain is for a pendant, the pendant adds its own drop below the chain, and our guide to the right chain for a pendant covers width and bail before length.
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Round Wheat Chain Necklace in 14K Yellow Gold | 1.5mm
$1,146.00
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How to Measure Chain Length
How do you measure chain length?
Lay the chain flat on a table, straighten it without stretching it, and measure from the tip of the clasp to the end of the last link with a ruler or a soft tape. That figure, in inches, is the chain's length. A chain with an extender is measured without it, and the extender's length is counted separately: our 2.30 mm bead chain is 18 inches with a 1.25-inch extender.
Measuring your own neck works the same way. Hold a string or a soft tape where you want the chain to rest, let it fall naturally rather than pulling it tight, and read the length where the ends meet. A chain you already own and like is the best reference of all, because it already answers the question of where you want a chain to fall. The photograph below shows the 1.5 mm wheat chain beside an inch ruler, which is the simplest way to judge a length from a listing.
Longer Chains Carry More Gold
Length changes more than where a chain falls. Every extra inch is more gold, and the listings show it. The table reads the approximate weight each listing gives at each length, for five chains offered across a wide run of lengths.
| Chain | 16 in | 18 in | 20 in | 22 in | 24 in | Longest |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Round wheat, 1.5 mm | 4.4 g | 4.9 g | 5.4 g | 5.9 g | 6.4 g | 8.0 g at 30 in |
| Classic box, 1.4 mm, yellow | 5.7 g | 6.3 g | 7.0 g | 7.7 g | 8.4 g | 8.4 g at 24 in |
| Bold paperclip, 4.2 mm, yellow | none | 4.4 g | 4.8 g | none | 5.6 g | 8.4 g at 38 in |
| Solid Miami Cuban, 4.0 mm | none | 21.9 g | 24.4 g | 26.7 g | 29.1 g | 31.4 g at 26 in |
| Solid diamond-cut rope, 5.00 mm | none | none | 26.3 g | 29.9 g | 32.5 g | 42.1 g at 30 in |
Weight rises roughly in step with length. The wheat chain at 30 inches carries about 8.0 g against 4.9 g at 18, about 1.6 times the gold for 1.67 times the length. The 4.0 mm Solid Miami Cuban Chain in 14K yellow gold gains about 9.5 g between 18 and 26 inches, close to the whole weight of a fine chain. So a longer chain is not only a different look; it is a heavier piece, and two chains of the same width at different lengths are not the same amount of gold. Our guide to hollow vs solid gold chains explains what the weight tells you about how a chain is built.
The Longest Chains in Our Range
Which DEEVE chains come in the longest lengths?
Seven of our chains go past 24 inches. The longest is the 4.2 mm bold paperclip in yellow gold, offered at 38 inches. Four reach 30 inches: the 1.5 mm round wheat, the 3.00 mm white gold and 5.00 mm yellow gold solid diamond-cut ropes, and the 4.70 mm white gold solid curb. The 4.0 mm solid Miami Cuban reaches 26 inches, as does the adjustable paperclip link necklace at its longest setting.
The 38 inch length is offered on one chain only, the Bold Paperclip Chain in 14K yellow gold, 4.2 mm, and only in yellow gold; in white and rose gold the same chain comes at 18 inches. A long length like this is also the one most often worn with a second, shorter chain, and our editorial on layering necklaces shows how stylists combine lengths.
Extenders, Adjustable Chains and Changing a Length
Most of our chains are a fixed length, so the length you choose is the length you wear. Three are not. The 2.30 mm Bead Chain Necklace in 14K yellow gold is 18 inches with a 1.25-inch extender. The Adjustable Paperclip Link Necklace in 14K yellow gold adjusts from 16 to 26 inches, so one chain covers choker length at its shortest and a long line at its longest. The 1.00 mm adjustable franco adjusts up to 22 inches.
Can a gold chain's length be changed?
Yes. Repairs and length adjustments on our chains are handled by DEEVE's in-house Ontario workshop, so a chain that turns out a little long or short is not the end of the choice. Before you order, it still pays to measure: an adjustable chain, or a chain offered in several lengths, lets you choose the right length at the start and keep the piece exactly as it was finished.
Choosing Your Chain Length
Start with a chain you already own, or a string at the point you want the chain to rest, and read the length in inches. Then use the bands: 16 and 18 inches sit at the base of the neck or on the collarbone, 20 and 22 inches a little lower, 24 inches toward mid-chest, and 20 to 24 inches at about the center of the chest for a man. Our size chart sets the band names side by side. Finally, read the weight beside the length, because a longer chain is more gold. Our guide to chain lengths in the types of gold chains guide sets length beside type and width.
Choose your length from our gold chains collection, where every chain lists the lengths it comes in, or start with the Round Wheat Chain in 14K yellow gold, 1.5 mm, offered in six lengths from 16 to 30 inches.
Warranty. Every DEEVE chain carries a lifetime manufacturer's warranty for the original purchaser, serviced in-house, with complimentary cleaning, inspection and prong tightening for the life of the piece and rhodium re-plating on white gold at no charge. Read the warranty.
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