Jewelry is a mode of self-expression, just like the clothes you wear, or the haircut you have. Your pieces should reflect who you are and your own unique personal style. Since necklaces are such a focal point, being so close to the face, they make a wonderful accessory that provides immediate visual impact. If you’re new to necklace layering, it’s easy to wonder why your stack doesn’t look like the ones you see on online. In this section, we will keep it simple and cover the basics: necklace lengths, classic pieces, and a few creative tips and tricks. 

The Basics

All About Necklace Lengths: Before making a new purchase, be sure to check the length of the necklace. This way, you will have a greater understanding of where it will fall on your body. It is important to consider what you already own when introducing something new. Some questions you can ask yourself are 'What can I pair this with?' 'Does this piece fit with my current lifestyle?' or 'What occasion do I imagine myself wearing this?'

If you already have a favourite necklace, or one you like to wear everyday, go ahead and find out how long it is if you don't already know. We can use this piece to build our stack - it is always best to build around what we already have. 

14’ Collar: hitting above or at the collar bones; a great length for beads, pearls, and textured pieces.

16’ Choker: this length hits at or below the collar bones; an ideal length for adding charms or pendants. This length is perfect for those ‘never take off’ pieces, since the shorter length is less likely to get tangled. 

18’ Princess Length: this length is ideal for a lone charm or pendant, as they will lay in the centre of the chest (closest to the heart!)

21’+ Opera Length: Can often be doubled up, or worn down the back if wearing a backless top!

If you're only beginning to curate your fine jewellery collection, I would recommend making purchases that align with your lifestyle. We all can appreciate having a beautiful piece that you only break out for a special occasion, but finding something you love and can wear everyday—that is special. 

Featuring: Rolo Chain 14K Gold (24")

Featuring: Large Pearl Necklace with Heart Token Pendant

Classic Necklace Styles: When beginning to curate your fine jewellery collection, the first piece of advice you may hear is 'investing in classic pieces'. And yes, this is a great way to build a timeless, versatile collection. But it can sometimes feel forced, or even lead you to buying pieces that are 'classic' but not true to your style. Let's consider a classic strand of pearls. 

Pearls: A delicate strand of pearls will always be timeless. However, they can feel overly formal or dressy. When I think of pearls, I often think of vintage strands with inches upon inches of luminous freshwater pearl beads—not exactly everyday wear. How do we avert this overly formal aesthetic? Wearing a strand of pearls choker-style (as the shortest, or one of the shortest necklaces in your stack) is the perfect way to bring this classic style that can feel dated into your everyday rotation. The choker-style length brings it back into the realm of something you can wear day in day out.

Featuring: Rose-cut Champagne Diamond Necklace 14K

Necklaces with Pendants: A forever classic, they add sparkle and sophistication. Pendant necklaces are such an easy way to start your everyday collection, they lend themselves well to being your “never-take-off” piece. Choosing a unique diamond or gemstone cut add visual interest and inject personality into your look. There are truly endless options out there, take a look at our bezel birthstone necklace, rose-cut pear sapphire necklace, and our baroque pearl necklace for some inspiration. 

Tip: When wearing two necklaces, you can cross them and clasp them together at the back. This mitigates clasps falling to the front. This way, you can adjust the length of your necklaces by gently pulling on them so they sit where you want them. 

Getting Creative: Adjusting a clasp that keeps moving can be annoying - instead, view clasps as a feature to take advantage of, rather than an annoyance you have to keep adjusting. Wear your clasp in the front and add a charm onto it, this will ensure it stays in place all day due to the weight of the charm and clasp. Alternatively, if you have a special event and don't want to wear your clasp in the front, you can dab a small amount of eyelash glue on the clasp and actually glue it to the back of your neck (just make sure to patch test for allergies & wait until it fully dries before letting your hair down!) 

Featuring: Knock at my Heart, Garden Key, Blue Enamel Filigree and more

Charms are a decorative, beautiful, and deeply personal addition to a necklace stack; they are the icing on the cake. If you're looking to start a charm collection, but you're unsure where to begin, it can be helpful to start with a quick reflection of yourself—who you are and what you like and go from there. There is no right or wrong, being creative is fun and a great way to show your unique personality. Hopefully this information helps you on your journey to a stack that is entirely unique to you!