Cuban chain: the complete width matrix from 2 to 12 mm
Nine widths, four builds, and nowhere they stand side by side. That is why choosing a cuban chain almost always comes down to guesswork: you compare 5 mm in one version with 8 mm in another, while the two are not even the same metal.
This guide puts the whole line on one scale, from 2 to 12 mm. You will see which width exists in which build, why there is no stone-set version below 6 mm and no plain one above 7 mm, and which length belongs with it. The silver-tone cuban in 3, 5 and 7 mm sits right in the middle of that scale.
1. Why a cuban link lies flat
A cuban link is an oval ring turned a quarter turn against its neighbor and then finished flat. Because those flat sides touch each other, the chain cannot tip over: it settles by itself into the position where the wide face points outward and stays there.
That is why a cuban looks wider than a round link of the same size: you see one continuous surface instead of separate points of light.
That same face is also where settings can sit, which is the reason iced out exists in cuban and not in a round strand. The flip side: under the weight of a pendant a flat link tips forward. If you want something that mainly has to carry, the box chain in 2 or 3 mm is the better base.
2. The four builds
Stainless steel, bare or with five layers of PVD. The gold-tone and the silver-tone version, both in 3, 5 and 7 mm and in 50, 55 and 60 cm (20, 22 and 24 in). The silver-tone version is polished steel with no coating; on the gold-tone version the color is bonded to the steel in a vacuum chamber instead of being applied by electroplating.
Nickel-free copper alloy with five layers of PVD and VVS cubic zirconia. This is the iced out line: 6, 8 and 10 mm, in gold tone and silver tone, in the same three lengths. The stones are cubic zirconia, that is simulated diamond, so neither diamond nor moissanite.
Solid 925 sterling silver. There is no layer around it: what you see is the metal itself. Plain, this line runs in 2 mm and 4 mm. On the same silver sits the 12 mm moissanite cuban with VVS D moissanite, the widest we carry.
18K gold plated over 925 silver. One width: 5 mm. Plated here means real gold at 2.5 microns over a core of solid silver, so not solid gold. The tone differs from PVD gold: plated is warmer, PVD cooler. On its own you will not notice, side by side you will.
3. The width matrix from 2 to 12 mm
Side by side at true scale, the line looks like this: nine widths, and every width belongs to exactly one build, except 5 mm.
The lower end, 2 to 4 mm, is solid silver with 3 mm in between in stainless steel. Here a chain disappears under a dress shirt and leaves room for a second one next to it.
The middle, 5 to 7 mm, is the everyday zone and the only place where two builds meet: 5 mm exists in stainless steel and in 18K gold plated. From 7 mm the chain has enough weight to fall by itself.
The upper end, 8 to 12 mm, is stone set, and that is where the two limits of the line sit. The narrowest stone-set cuban is 6 mm, because below that the face on the link becomes too small for a row of settings. The widest plain cuban is 7 mm, because above that the weight becomes the subject instead of the look.
4. Length: 50, 55 and 60 cm (20, 22 and 24 in), and why 45 cm (18 in) does not exist here
Every cuban chain runs in the same three lengths, whatever the width or the build. So you pick the width first and the drop second.
50 cm (20 in) stays inside a buttoned collar. 55 cm (22 in) falls on the top of the breastbone and reads best over a T-shirt. 60 cm (24 in) hangs free on the chest and works hardest with roomier clothing.
The wider the link, the shorter the chain looks, because the links take up length themselves. At 7 mm and up you therefore round upward. For the stone-set widths that is worked out in the length guide for the iced out cuban.
What does not exist is 45 cm (18 in). No cuban comes in that length. A layering tip that starts there cannot be carried out here. If you truly want that size, the box chain in 2 or 3 mm is the only line that runs that short. In doubt, use the chain size chart.
5. Two chains at once: keep 10 cm apart
Because all cuban chains run in 50, 55 and 60 cm (20, 22 and 24 in), there is only one combination that gives the full 10 cm gap: 50 with 60. With 5 cm in between the two slide over each other and you see the link of neither.
A gap in length alone is not enough. Take at least two steps of difference in width as well: 3 mm at 50 cm (20 in) with 7 mm at 60 cm (24 in) works, twice 5 mm does not. And keep the build the same, because PVD gold next to 18K plated gives away the difference in tone faster than anywhere else.
If you want contrast in shape rather than in size, lay the flat cuban next to a tight round strand. That line starts at 45 cm (18 in) and can therefore sit under the cuban, as set out in this length guide for the box chain.
6. What each build can and cannot take
This is where the four builds diverge the most. For the stainless steel line the product instructions differ per color. The silver-tone version is bare polished steel and can stay on in the shower; take it off before the pool. The gold-tone version comes off before the pool, the shower and the gym: its PVD layer is hard, but soap and chlorine get between the links and stay there. Put either one on once perfume or aftershave has dried.
The iced out line sits on a nickel-free copper alloy, more sensitive to moisture than steel. Sweat reaches the clasp and the settings first, and it shows up as dull edges.
Solid 925 silver can take water but tarnishes over time from air and sweat, especially between the links. On the 18K plated version the enemy is not water but friction: even 2.5 microns is thin, and the spot that rubs against a watch case goes first.
If you want a chain that can go in the shower, take the silver-tone cuban or box chain in stainless steel.
7. Care per build
A cuban has many edges, and everything you rub into your skin collects there. Dull here almost always means dirty, not worn out.
Stainless steel and plated: lukewarm water, a drop of mild soap, a soft cloth and thorough drying. On plated, leave the toothbrush alone, because that is exactly how you scrub off that gold layer.
Solid 925 silver: the same, plus a silver polishing cloth as soon as it darkens. On the moissanite version, work that cloth along the metal and not over the stones.
Iced out: keep it dry. A soft, dry toothbrush along the settings takes off most of it, once a week if you wear it daily. Store it dry afterward.
Four mistakes you spot right away
- Comparing widths across builds. 8 mm stone set and 7 mm plain are not the same picture, because stones add light across the full width. Compare within one line.
- Shopping for 45 cm (18 in). That length does not exist in the cuban line. Take 50 cm (20 in), or move to the box chain.
- Wearing PVD gold and 18K plated together. Two gold tones that each work on their own and not next to each other, because the color temperature differs.
- Two chains 5 cm apart. They slide over each other. In this line 50 with 60 is the only combination that works.
Where do you start?
If you are unsure about everything at once, take 5 mm at 55 cm (22 in). That is the only width existing in two builds, so all that is left is choosing between the gold-tone steel version and the 18K plated one.
If you want precious metal without stones, the 4 mm in solid 925 silver is the route, with the 2 mm as the finest version. If you want to be seen, that starts at 8 mm iced out and ends at the 12 mm with moissanite.
If a ring joins in, keep it in the same build: the gold cuban ring and the silver cuban ring are stainless steel, the gold one with five layers of PVD, in sizes 7 through 11.
To look further, there are the cuban chains, the cuban bracelets, the iced out chains, the 925 silver jewelry and the 18K gold jewelry.
Frequently asked questions
Which cuban chain widths are there?
Nine: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 10 and 12 mm. 2 and 4 mm are solid 925 silver, 3, 5 and 7 mm stainless steel (with five layers of PVD in gold tone), 5 mm also 18K gold plated, 6, 8 and 10 mm iced out with VVS cubic zirconia and 12 mm moissanite on 925 silver.
Is there a cuban chain in 45 cm (18 in)?
No. Every cuban chain here runs in 50, 55 and 60 cm (20, 22 and 24 in). If you truly want 45 cm (18 in), the box chain in 2 or 3 mm is the only line that runs that short.
Which width should I pick if I am unsure?
5 mm at 55 cm (22 in). That is the only width existing in two builds, stainless steel and 18K gold plated, and it falls between the fine and the wide end.
Why is there no iced out cuban below 6 mm?
Because below that the face on the link becomes too small to carry a row of settings. The other way around, 7 mm is the widest plain cuban we carry, because above that the weight becomes the subject.
Which cuban chain can go in the shower?
The silver-tone cuban in stainless steel, which is bare polished steel with no coating. The gold-tone steel version has five layers of PVD and comes off before the shower, the pool and the gym, and the copper alloy of the iced out line is even more sensitive to moisture. The pool is out for all of them.
What is the difference between PVD gold and 18K gold plated?
PVD bonds a gold-tone layer to stainless steel in a vacuum chamber, here in five layers. 18K gold plated is real gold at 2.5 microns over solid 925 silver. The tone differs: PVD is cooler, plated warmer.
