Five chain link types compared: width, length and how they hang
A ranking of the most popular necklaces says very little about what happens around your neck. What does say something is how much surface a link turns toward the light, because that is the difference you can still see from a meter away.
We carry five link families in necklaces: cuban, king link, rope, figaro and box. They differ in width, in length and above all in how they hang. This guide puts them side by side with the sizes we actually stock.
1. Why the link matters more than the metal
The metal decides how long a necklace stays good looking. The link decides what it looks like. Most people pick a metal first and a shape second, and that is the wrong way round.
A link really does one thing: it distributes light. Flat and wide catches light in facets and reads as one continuous line. Dense and round breaks light in every direction at once and looks calmer but heavier. Twisted changes angle the moment you move, so it flickers. A pattern gives you rhythm instead of a line.
All five families come in stainless steel with five layers of PVD, in gold color and silver color. Cuban, king link and rope also run in solid 925 sterling silver and in 18K gold plating over a core of 925 silver. Figaro and box we carry only in steel with PVD.
2. Cuban: flat, wide and one continuous line
The cuban link is flattened and twisted into itself, so the top becomes a single plane instead of a row of separate rings. That is why a cuban reads as a stripe from a meter away.
In steel with PVD it runs in 3, 5 and 7 mm, each in 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in) and 60 cm (24in). In solid 925 silver we carry 2 mm and 4 mm, in 18K gold plating 5 mm, each in those same three lengths. The 6 to 8 mm you often see quoted for cuban online, we carry only in the iced out version with cubic zirconia.
What the widths do: 3 mm sits under a shirt collar without bulging, 5 mm is the first width where the facets get large enough to catch light, and 7 mm asks for an open collar. Against fabric a wide cuban loses its facets. It is all in the cuban link collection.
3. King link: dense, round and the same from every side
The king link is built from four interlocking rings per segment, so the strand is dense and round and looks the same from every side. In steel with PVD we carry 5 mm in 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in), 65 cm (26in) and 75 cm (30in), and in 925 silver and 18K gold plating 2.5 mm in 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in) and 60 cm (24in).
This family has more variants than the other four combined, so the full story sits in a guide of its own: which types of king chains there are. To browse straight away, go to the king link collection.
4. Rope: it twists, so it flickers
A rope chain is built from two strands wound around each other. That gives it a spiral groove along its whole length, and that groove changes angle the moment you turn your head. Of the five, this is the one that moves most in the light.
In steel with PVD we carry rope in 2 and 3 mm, in 45 cm (18in), 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in) and 60 cm (24in). In solid 925 silver in 2, 3 and 4 mm, and in 18K gold plating in 1.5, 2.8 and 3.8 mm, each in 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in) and 60 cm (24in). That 1.5 mm is the finest size in the whole store.
At 1.5 and 2 mm you wear the chain alongside a pendant without two things competing for attention. From 3 mm up the spiral becomes the subject itself. The full run sits in the rope collection.
5. Figaro: a rhythm of short and long
Figaro is the only one of the five with a pattern. Two or three short round links, then a longer oval one, and that repeats. This fixed rhythm is what makes it recognizable, and also why it does not work the same at every width.
We carry the figaro chain in 3 and 6 mm, in 45 cm (18in), 50 cm (20in) and 55 cm (22in), in silver color and gold color. At 3 mm you only notice the rhythm up close. At 6 mm the long links sit visibly apart and the pattern becomes the whole piece.
The lengths run shorter here than with cuban. We carry 45 cm (18in) in figaro, box and the steel rope; with cuban and king link the run only starts at 50 cm (20in). See the figaro collection.
6. Box: the tightest round strand
The box link is made of square blocks that hook into each other to form a strand with a square cross section. No pattern, no twist, no wide facets. That is exactly why it disappears under a shirt and pulls a pendant straight down.
We carry box in 2 and 3 mm, in 45 cm (18in), 50 cm (20in) and 55 cm (22in), in silver color and gold color. Watch the upper limit: 60 cm (24in) does not exist in this family. If you want a strand that shows below a T-shirt, you end up with rope or cuban.
Which length suits you is worked out in which box chain length suits you best, and the versions sit in the box collection.
7. Which width for which build
Honestly, the right width depends on the proportion to your neck, not on your height, your weight or your age. What counts is your neck circumference and the room between collar and jawline.
Measure that circumference with a tape where the chain will sit. Add roughly 5 cm for a chain that lands on the collarbone and 10 cm for one that hangs below it. In our sizes: 50 cm (20in) stays inside a buttoned shirt, 55 cm (22in) sits just below the collarbone, 60 cm (24in) shows freely above a T-shirt, and the 65 cm (26in) and 75 cm (30in) of the king link sit at chest height.
For width the rule is short: the tighter the room between collar and jawline, the narrower the link has to be to still read as a shape. If that room is tight, 7 mm touches the collar on both sides and you lose the facets; 3 or 5 mm keeps its line there. If there is room to spare, 6 and 7 mm do exactly what they were made for.
If you wear two, pick two different widths and keep at least 5 cm of length between them. In doubt, use the chain size chart.
8. Care by build
Stainless steel with five layers of PVD. The most carefree build we make. Washing your hands, rain and the shower are all fine. The color is bonded to the metal at molecular level in a vacuum chamber and does not flake. The only thing that dulls it is a film of soap and skin oil in the grooves.
Solid 925 sterling silver. The metal itself, so there is no layer that can wear through, and a jeweler can polish it. Silver is softer, so fine marks appear sooner and it can darken between the links. A silver cloth works better there than a dip bath.
18K gold plating. One micron of 18K gold over a core of solid 925 silver. Thin layer, soft core: this is the build that copes least well with abrasion. Take it off before the gym and store it separately.
Cleaning is the same for all three: lukewarm water, a drop of mild soap, a soft toothbrush through the links and then rub it thoroughly dry. With rope and king link that takes longer than with box.
Four mistakes you spot straight away
- Choosing the width from a photo. In a product shot 3 mm looks almost as wide as 7 mm. Around your neck the difference is more than double.
- Counting on 60 cm (24in) in box. That length does not exist here; 55 cm (22in) is the longest. For longer, go to rope or cuban.
- Taking an 18K gold plated chain to the gym. One micron of gold over soft silver does not stop abrasion. Choose steel with PVD there.
- Two chains in the same width. Without a difference in width and without 5 cm of length between them you see one messy plane instead of two links.
Where do you start?
If you want one chain that does the most, the 5 mm cuban at 55 cm (22in) is the safest choice: wide enough to catch light, narrow enough to sit under a collar.
If you want something that disappears under a shirt, take the 2 mm box at 50 cm (20in). If you want movement, the 3 mm rope is the one that flickers. If you want a pattern, look at the 6 mm figaro. And if you want volume without stones, the 5 mm king link gives you that, all the way up to 75 cm (30in).
To see everything next to each other, go to the necklace collection, and for what else goes with it, jewelry for him.
Frequently asked questions
Which link is the most versatile?
The 5 mm cuban. Wide enough to catch light in facets and narrow enough to stay under a shirt collar. In stainless steel it runs in 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in) and 60 cm (24in).
Which chain shows least under a shirt?
The 2 mm box chain. A square cross section with no pattern or twist lies flat against the skin. We carry it in 45 cm (18in), 50 cm (20in) and 55 cm (22in).
Why is there no box chain in 60 cm (24in)?
Our box runs to 55 cm (22in) and no further. If you want a strand that shows below a T-shirt, rope and cuban are the families that go to 60 cm (24in).
Which length should I choose for a chain?
Measure your neck circumference and add roughly 5 cm for a chain on the collarbone, or 10 cm for one that hangs below it.
What is the difference between rope and king link?
Rope is a spiral of two twisted strands that changes angle as you move, so it flickers. The king link is dense and round, which makes it look calmer and heavier.
Which build can go in the shower?
Stainless steel with five layers of PVD handles water, soap and rain. Take 18K gold plating off before the gym, because that layer is one micron thick over a core of 925 silver.
