Whether you’re styling a casual outfit or dressing up for a special occasion, a thoughtfully selected necklace will add the perfect amount of polish to your look. To ensure you’re ready to style your jewelry to perfection, our expert stylists are highlighting 10 types of necklaces everyone should know about. Read on to discover the details on these top necklace styles and how you can style them to maximum effect.
- Chain
Chain necklaces are timeless and immensely versatile. They consist of a flexible chain that can be made of a variety of materials. The most popular chain necklaces today are made of precious metals like gold and silver.
Chain necklaces range widely in style depending on their design. There are dainty chain necklaces that give just a touch of shimmer, chunky chain necklaces that make a bold statement, and diamond set chains that amp up glamour.
Simple chain necklaces are an excellent option for everyday wear, while diamond chain necklaces are perfect for elevating an outfit. All chain necklaces are an excellent addition to a layered necklace look. We especially love using a chunkier chain as a bold focal piece in a necklace stack.
- Pendant
Pendant necklaces allow you to instantly add a personal touch to any ensemble. This popular necklace style consists of a pendant, an ornamental charm, that hangs from a necklace chain.
Pendants can be merely decorative or they can be symbolic. Examples of popular pendant necklace styles include initial necklaces, solitaire gemstone necklaces, and religious necklaces, like cross necklaces.
Delicate pendant necklaces are an excellent choice for daily wear. They’re versatile because they work well with most necklines, including v-necks, scoop necks, and square necks. Whether you want to wear one necklace or layer up, pendant necklaces are the perfect choice.
- Tennis
Like tennis bracelets, tennis necklaces consist of a line of gemstones, which is most often diamonds. This classic option is inherently luxe, while still being simple enough to wear with a wide range of looks. Because they tend to sit higher on the neck, tennis necklaces pair beautifully with many necklines, including higher designs such as crew necks.
Tennis necklaces are traditionally associated with more upscale looks, but one of the biggest fashion trends of the moment is styling tennis jewelry with casual wear. No matter where you’re headed, a tennis necklace is an ideal accessory.
- Locket
Locket necklaces are a sentimental necklace style that has been popular for centuries. This type of necklace features a pendant that opens and closes to hold something meaningful to the wearer, such as a portrait or a charm. Lockets became immensely popular in the 19th century, when people wore them to carry a memento of a lost loved one with them.
This beautiful necklace style is great for daily wear, as it allows you to add sentiment to your everyday style. You can wear a traditional locket that conceals its contents or a transparent style that shows off its enclosed charms.
- Opera
Opera necklaces are necklaces that range between 28 and 36 inches in length. Any necklace of this length can be considered an opera necklace, including elongated chain styles and long stranded pearl necklaces.
The beauty of opera necklaces is that they can be worn at a variety of lengths. You can wear one as a single strand or double your necklace up to create a customized layered look. A single strand adds a touch of elegance to upscale looks on formal occasions, while doubled up opera length necklaces allow you to customize the necklace’s style to your outfit.
- Lariat
Lariat necklaces are an adjustable necklace style with no clasp or closure. They typically consist of a delicate chain with accents at the end that are threaded together. You choose how far you thread a lariat necklace, allowing you to wear it like a pendant necklace, a y-necklace, or a choker necklace with a long drop.
Depending on how you secure it, this type of necklace can be casual or quite dramatic. We love wearing a lariat as a y-necklace or a drop choker to accent plunging necklines.
- Princess
Princess necklaces are necklaces that measure between 17 and 19 inches. This necklace length falls just below the collar bones and is used on many of today’s most popular styles. Pendant necklaces often fall into the princess category, as do many stranded or beaded necklaces.
Princess necklaces are a jewelry collection must-have, as they pair well with virtually any neckline. An 18-inch necklace looks lovely with button-ups, scoop necks, v-necks, sweetheart necklines, and more. If you’re looking for a new go-to everyday necklace, consider a piece from the princess category.
- Multi-Strand
A multi-strand necklace is a single necklace made of multiple connected strands. Modern multi-strand necklaces are often designed to look like a set of layered necklaces. Vintage styles may give the look of a many layered beaded necklace or they may create a specific pattern, as in the case of tiered festoon necklaces.
Because they feature numerous strands, multi-strand necklaces are an impactful addition to your look. We love using delicate multi-strand necklaces to enhance more casual outfits, or having one bold multi-strand piece take center stage in a dressier outfit.
- Station
Station necklaces feature evenly spaced, or stationed, accents. This design style tends to create elegant, delicate necklaces, but a station necklace can be bold when the design features larger proportions.
Station necklaces are a classic option for everyday wear. Minimalist station necklaces are excellent never-take-off pieces, as they look equally lovely with casual, business, and upscale attire.
- Bar
The bar necklace is a simple necklace style consisting of a bar on a chain. More minimalist bar necklaces have a modern look, while more detailed styles can look romantic, vintage, or unique.
Our stylists suggest choosing a bar necklace that suits your personal style, then styling it alone or with other necklaces. Bar necklaces are the perfect addition to a layered necklace look, as they have a natural focal point that makes a collection of necklaces look more cohesive.
Elevate Your Necklace Collection With JustDesi
Find your new favorite necklace at JustDesi. Whether you’re looking for an everyday piece of jewelry or a statement piece that will turn heads at your next event, you’ll find it in our necklace collection.