Types of King's Link Chain: Full Guide and How to Choose
Most guides open by telling you that the king's link chain is also called the Byzantine chain. That is not right. They are two different weaves, and the difference is visible to the naked eye the moment you lay them side by side.
This guide walks the king's link chains Carpe Ice carries, explains where the names you find online come from, and helps you choose on the three points that actually matter: weave, width and material.
1. King's link against Byzantine
This is the distinction everything else rests on, so let us be precise.
The king's link is built from small links that interlock layer by layer. That produces a dense strand which looks the same from every side. The practical consequence: a king's link chain does not twist crooked, and the pattern stays visible however it falls. From a distance it reads as one continuous line.
The Byzantine link builds more openly. The loops sit loosely enough to let shadow fall between the links, which makes the weave clearly three dimensional. It catches light in layers rather than as one plane.
In short: if you want a quiet pattern to wear every day, it is the king's link. If you want depth and volume, it is the 6 mm Byzantine.
2. The three widths we carry
2.5 mm is the fine version, in 18K gold plated and in solid 925 sterling silver, both in 50 cm (20in), 55 cm (22in) and 60 cm (24in). At this width you only read the pattern up close, and that is the point: this is the king's link chain for under a shirt.
5 mm is the most worn width, in gold tone and silver tone stainless steel, in 50, 55, 65 cm (26in) and 75 cm (30in). Wide enough to be worn alone without getting lost.
6 mm is the Byzantine, in gold and silver, in 50, 55 and 60 cm. This is the volume end of the line.
We do not carry other widths. If you come across a 3 mm or 8 mm king's link chain online, that is another shop or another link type.
3. Names you will come across, and what they mean
A cloud of trade names hangs around the king's link chain. Some of them are real variants, others are mostly marketing. For clarity: here is what they mean, and which ones we carry.
Byzantine chain. A genuinely different weave, as described above. We carry it, in 6 mm.
Round and square king's link. This is about the profile of the strand, not the weave. Our 2.5 and 5 mm are the classic, even version.
Ale Kondre. The flattened variant, strongly tied to the Surinamese tradition in the Netherlands. Its own category with its own meaning, and not the same as a plain king's link chain. We do not carry it.
Monte Carlo, Magnum, king's link with spacers. Trade names for finishes and inserts, filled in differently by each supplier. We do not carry them, and with names like these it is wise to ask for the width in millimeters and the weight rather than for the name.
4. Steel, silver or plated
On a king's link chain the material choice matters more than on any other link, because the weave carries so much surface.
Stainless steel is the most practical of the three: it costs the least, is the strongest and asks for almost no attention. The gold and silver tones come from five layers of PVD, where the color is bonded to the steel at molecular level inside a vacuum chamber rather than laid on galvanically. That makes the finish noticeably harder and more scratch resistant than a standard plated layer.
Solid 925 sterling silver is the next step. Finer in width and considerably more expensive, but it can always be repolished and the metal carries value of its own.
18K gold plated lays a gold layer over a silver core. If that layer wears, silver appears rather than base metal, and a jeweler can have it replated.
5. Which length
For most wearers 55 cm (22in) is the safest choice: it falls just below the collarbone and reads well over a T shirt.
Choose 50 cm (20in) if you want it tighter around the neck, closer to the collar. That is also the size that stays best in proportion on a narrower neck. The 65 cm (26in) and 75 cm (30in) on the 5 mm are statement lengths that hang on the chest and are often worn over clothing.
On the Byzantine, length works differently, because it decides how much of the pattern you actually see. At 50 cm the chain sits high and most of it disappears behind a collar, so you notice the thickness and not the build. If you want the weave to do the work, choose 60 cm (24in).
Unsure? Lay a chain you already own beside these sizes, or use the chain size chart.
6. With a pendant, or deliberately without
There is a practical limit here that is rarely mentioned.
On the 2.5 mm almost any pendant bail fits, and that is what the width is for. On the 5 mm most bails fit, as long as you check.
On the 6 mm Byzantine we advise against a pendant. The loops are too thick for most bails, and the chain is emphatic enough on its own. If you do want something at the neck that stands beside a pendant, choose a finer link such as a box chain and keep the king's link for the days it goes alone.
7. Care: dirt sits between the loops
On this weave dirt sits deeper between the loops than on almost any other link, and that is exactly what takes the depth out of the pattern. A king's link chain that looks dull is almost never worn out, it is dirty.
Lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft toothbrush lift it out. Dry it well afterwards with a soft cloth. On the Byzantine this matters extra, because it has more protruding loops than any other pattern we carry, and every loop is a high point that rubs along your collar or a belt.
Take the chain off before the pool, the shower and the gym, and put it on once fragrance or aftershave has dried.
Four mistakes you spot immediately
- A pendant on the Byzantine. The bail does not fit and the chain did not need it.
- Gold beside silver. On a weave with this much surface that reads as unintended rather than deliberate. Keep your other pieces in the same tone.
- Byzantine at 50 cm (20in). Then you notice the thickness and not the pattern, and the pattern is what you are paying for.
- Buying a name instead of a size. With Monte Carlo, Magnum or spacers, always ask for millimeters and weight.
Where do you start?
Wearing it every day, including under a shirt? Take the 2.5 mm, in 925 sterling silver if you want a precious metal.
Want it seen without any fuss? The 5 mm in steel at 55 cm (22in) is the safest choice in the whole line.
Want the full weave? The 6 mm Byzantine at 60 cm (24in). See also the king's link bracelets for a set, or the full king's link collection.
Frequently asked questions
Is a king's link chain the same as a Byzantine chain?
No. They are two weaves. The king's link interlocks layer by layer and forms a dense, even strand. The Byzantine builds more openly, with shadow between the loops and clear depth.
Which types of king's link chain does Carpe Ice carry?
The classic king's link in 2.5 mm and 5 mm, and the Byzantine link in 6 mm, each in gold tone and silver tone. We do not carry Ale Kondre, Monte Carlo or Magnum.
Which king's link width is the most worn?
5 mm. It is wide enough to be worn alone without getting lost, and at 55 cm (22in) it falls just below the collarbone.
Does a king's link chain twist crooked?
No. Because the links interlock layer by layer, the strand looks the same from every side, so the pattern stays visible however it falls. That is the difference from a flat link.
Can I wear a pendant on a king's link chain?
On the 2.5 mm almost any bail fits and on the 5 mm most do. On the 6 mm Byzantine we advise against it, because the loops are too thick for most bails.
Why does my king's link chain look dull?
Almost always dirt between the loops, because that takes the depth out of the pattern. Lukewarm water, mild soap and a soft toothbrush fix it.
