A first piece of jewelry for him: which chain link do you give?
Buying jewelry for yourself is easy: you know what you wear. Buying for someone else means guessing at the taste of a person who is not in the room. And with a first piece, taste is not even the biggest risk. Size is.
A 55 cm (22in) chain fits almost every man. A bracelet in the wrong size fits nobody. That decides where you start when you are picking something from the collection for him and have never looked closely at his jewelry box. Below are six chain links side by side on width and character, plus the length that lands well almost every time. Prices are on the product page itself.
1. A chain forgives, a bracelet does not
A chain has three sizes that really matter: 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in) and 60 cm (24in). Each step is 5 cm, and 5 cm is barely noticeable across a chest. If it sits slightly higher or lower than he would have picked himself, he still wears it.
A bracelet also has three sizes, but that same difference sits around a wrist of at most 18 cm in circumference. Two centimeters too loose and the clasp rotates to the top, two centimeters too tight and he cannot close it.
So start with a chain. If you want a bracelet anyway, measure one he already wears, from clasp to clasp. If he has none, add 1.5 cm to his wrist circumference: under 17 cm you land on 18 cm, above that on 20 cm.
2. 55 cm (22in) lands well almost every time
At 50 cm (20in) the chain sits high against the neck and stays inside a buttoned shirt. At 60 cm (24in) it hangs to the breastbone and clears a T-shirt neckline by a wide margin. Between those sits 55 cm (22in), just below the collarbone.
At 55 cm (22in) the chain is visible above a crew neck, it does not rub on a collar and it does not disappear into the neckband. So it works in both of the situations he will wear it in.
With us 55 cm (22in) runs through almost the whole line: Cuban link, box, Figaro, rope and king's link all have it. The exception is the Franco fox tail, which exists only in 50 cm (20in) and 60 cm (24in). How the lengths compare is drawn out on the chain size chart.
3. Six chain links, from 2 to 7 mm
Once the length is settled, the rest is about width and about how the link catches light. We carry these six, in stainless steel with five layers of PVD in a gold or silver tone.
Cuban link, 3, 5 or 7 mm
The flat, interlocking link everyone recognizes. At 3 mm it is an ordinary chain that happens to sit well, at 5 mm you see it from a meter away and at 7 mm it decides the outfit. The silver-tone Cuban link and the gold-tone Cuban link both run in 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in) and 60 cm (24in).
Box chain, 2 or 3 mm
Square links joined end to end, so the chain reads the same from every side. The least conspicuous of the six and therefore the safest if he has never worn anything around his neck. The box chain runs in 45 cm (18in), 50 cm (20in) and 55 cm (22in). There is no 60 cm here.
Figaro, 3 or 6 mm
Three short links and then a long one, in a fixed rhythm. That pattern breaks the line and makes the chain less severe than a Cuban link of the same width. The Figaro runs in 45 cm (18in), 50 cm (20in) and 55 cm (22in).
Rope, 2 or 3 mm
Twisted links that start to glint the moment he moves, because the light catches a different angle at every turn. The rope chain is the only one of the six with four lengths: 45 cm (18in), 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in) and 60 cm (24in). At 2 mm this is the subtlest chain on the list.
King's link, 5 mm
Four links per row, woven into a thick square strand. Heavier than a Cuban link of the same width and clearly more classic. The gold-tone 5 mm king's link chain runs in 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in), 65 cm (26in) and 75 cm (30in), so this is the only one where you can really go long.
Franco fox tail, 3 mm
Tightly nested links that form a smooth, almost round strand. It falls heavier than it looks and stays straight, even under a pendant. The 3 mm fox tail exists in 50 cm (20in) and 60 cm (24in).
4. With or without a pendant
A bare chain is neutral. A pendant turns it into a statement, and a statement can miss.
Four shapes work most often. A cross of 2.9 by 1.8 cm is the classic and does not have to be read as religious. A compass suits someone who travels. A dog tag of 18 by 30 mm is the only piece here you can put something on. A clover is the cheeriest of the four, in solid 925 sterling silver with VVS cubic zirconia. The rest sits together in the pendant collection.
More important than the shape is which chain hangs underneath. Anything from 3 mm up carries a pendant without tilting. Below 3 mm the pendant is heavier than the chain and the bail keeps turning forward. So leave a 2 mm rope empty.
5. What he can wear in the shower
This counts for more with a gift than with a purchase for yourself: the fewer rules that come with it, the better the odds he keeps wearing it.
Stainless steel with five layers of PVD is the easiest construction in the store for that. The color is bonded to the metal at a molecular level in a vacuum chamber instead of being plated over it electrolytically. With the silver-tone versions he does not have to take the chain off for washing his hands, rain or the shower. With the gold-tone versions we do advise taking it off for the pool, the shower and the gym.
Solid 925 sterling silver is the other side: 92.5% pure silver with copper added. There is no layer around it that can wear through, but the metal is softer than PVD, so marks of use appear sooner. Iced out pieces with cubic zirconia usually sit on a nickel-free copper alloy, and that is more sensitive to moisture than steel. That is the category that stays home at shower time.
6. Engraving when you do not want to guess his taste
This is the way out if you are worried the gift will read as too generic. An engraved date changes nothing about how the piece looks, but everything about what it means, and it asks nothing of your knowledge of his style.
The dog tag pendant is the most suitable for that: a plate of 18 by 30 mm, so room for a name, a date or a short line. Keep it to four words per line, or the lettering gets too small to read from a meter away.
What else can be engraved sits in the engravable jewelry collection. For the wording itself there are examples in our article on engraving a ring; those work on a pendant too.
7. What to do when you really do not know
Look at his watch or his glasses. That is the only metal virtually every man carries daily, and it gives away in two seconds which color he picks without thinking. If he wears neither, take the silver tone: it clashes with less.
The rest then gets simple. A 3 mm link in a silver tone at 55 cm (22in) has the smallest chance of going wrong: narrow enough not to draw attention, wide enough for a pendant later, and at the height where virtually everyone wears a chain.
Four mistakes you see most often with a gift
- Guessing a bracelet. Three sizes around a wrist leave no room for a miss.
- Going straight to 7 mm because it looks more impressive. That width decides the whole outfit. He wears 3 mm tomorrow.
- Hanging a pendant on a 2 mm chain. The pendant then wins from the chain. From 3 mm up it stays centered.
- Giving a gold tone without checking what he already wears. His watch gives away which color metal he picks by default.
Where do you start?
You know nothing: a silver-tone 3 mm Cuban link at 55 cm (22in), or the 3 mm box chain if you want something quieter. Neither comes with instructions.
He wears a gold tone: the gold Cuban link at 55 cm (22in), or the gold 5 mm king's link chain if he wants something heavier.
Personal: the engraved dog tag on a 3 mm fox tail, which stays straight even under weight. To look further, try the necklaces or jewelry for him.
Frequently asked questions
Which chain length do you give as a gift when you do not know his size?
55 cm (22in). On most men it falls just below the collarbone, stays visible above a T-shirt and disappears under a shirt. With us 55 cm runs through the Cuban link, the box, the Figaro, the rope and the king's link.
Is a bracelet a good gift if you do not know his size?
Riskier than a chain. There are only three sizes, 18, 20 and 22 cm, and the wrong one is wrong immediately. Add 1.5 cm to his wrist circumference: under 17 cm you land on 18 cm, above that on 20 cm.
Which chain link can carry a pendant?
Anything from 3 mm up. A 3 mm box, a Cuban link of 3 or 5 mm and the fox tail hold a pendant centered. Below 3 mm the pendant is heavier than the chain, so leave a 2 mm rope empty.
Can he wear a stainless steel chain with PVD in the shower?
With the silver-tone versions he does not have to take it off for washing his hands, rain or the shower. With the gold-tone versions we advise taking it off for the pool, the shower and the gym.
How wide is too wide for a first chain?
7 mm. That width decides the outfit instead of finishing it. For a first piece you are right at 3 mm, and at 5 mm if it has to be visible from a meter away.
What can you engrave on a dog tag?
The plate measures 18 by 30 mm, so a name, a date or a line of at most four words. Pick something that still holds in five years: a date stays, a nickname does not always.
