Gallery
Where each necklace length sits
Choker to opera, drawn on the same figure, with the measurement in inches and centimetres.
“Eighteen inches” means nothing to most people, and every shop describes it against a different part of the body. Here are the seven standard lengths on one figure, so the relative positions are visible at a glance.
Collar
Tight around the middle of the neck
Choker
Snug at the base of the neck
Princess
On or just below the collarbone
Matinee
A few inches below the collarbone
Matinee, long
At the top of the bust
Opera
At or below the bust
Rope
At the waist, or doubled
Where it actually falls depends on the neck, not the chain
The figure above is a schematic of an average adult. A 16 inch chain that sits at the base of one person’s neck will be a close collar on someone with a larger neck, and will hang below the collarbone on someone with a smaller one. If it matters — and for a gift it usually does — measure a chain they already wear and like, laid flat, rather than guessing from a chart.
The two things that change where it sits
Neck circumference
Whatever goes around the neck is not available to hang. Every extra inch of neck takes roughly an inch off the drop, which is why the same chain looks like two different pieces on two people. As a rule of thumb, add two inches to the neck measurement for a chain that sits at the base of the neck.
The pendant
A pendant hangs below the chain, so it lands lower than the length suggests — and a heavy one drags the chain down at the back as well. Allow for the height of the pendant plus its bail when you are picking a length, not just the chain.
Common questions
How long is an 18 inch necklace?
Eighteen inches is 46 cm, and it is the most common length sold. On an average adult it sits on or just below the collarbone, which is why it suits most pendants — the pendant lands in the hollow at the base of the throat rather than disappearing under a collar.
What length necklace should I buy as a gift?
Eighteen inches is the safest single guess for an adult, and 16 inches if you know they wear things close to the neck. The far better approach, if you can manage it, is to measure a chain they already own and wear: lay it flat, measure end to end including the clasp, and buy that.
What is the difference between a choker and a collar?
A collar is 12 to 14 inches and sits tight around the middle of the neck. A choker is 14 to 16 inches and sits at the base of the neck, snug but not tight. The names get used interchangeably in shops, so go by the measurement.