Category: Chains And Necklaces

Chains and necklaces in South Africa

The full chain and necklace collection at Aria Jewellery. Solid 9ct and 18ct gold, 925 sterling silver and rose gold, made to be worn every day rather than kept for occasions.

A chain is the piece you wear most. It sits on the neckline every day, it carries your pendant, and it works with everything else you own. Nothing here is plated, so the metal runs through the whole piece and cannot wear back to base metal at the clasp or along the links.

This collection holds 75 pieces. It starts at R75 for silver on a cord and runs to R36,900 for a 5mm solid gold rope. Personalised name necklaces are made in silver or 9ct gold, so those start lower than the solid gold chains.

Chain prices by style

Price follows weight and metal. The same style in 9ct gold costs several times the silver version, which is why one collection can span R75 to R36,900.

Style	How it wears	From
Cord and choker	A silver detail on a fine cord. The lightest way into the collection.	R75
Paper clip, silver	Elongated links. Modern, and the easiest style to layer.	R895
Name and initial	Cut to your wording in silver, gold plated silver or solid gold.	R995
Omega	Smooth flexible mesh that holds its shape. Built to carry a pendant.	R2,595
Figaro	Two or three short links then one long. The most requested men’s style.	R2,995
Rolo	Even round links. Neater than a belcher and just as strong.	R4,485
Tennis	A continuous line of stones. An occasion piece rather than a daily chain.	R6,595
Curb and cuban, silver	Flattened interlocking links, cut thicker and tighter for cuban.	R6,895
Knotty	Heavy woven links with the weight of a gold chain at silver prices.	R7,900
Rope, 9ct gold	Twisted strands that catch light from every angle.	R9,790
Paper clip, 9ct gold	The same modern link in solid gold, 2.3mm.	R11,520
Singapore	A finer twist that sparkles at a lower weight. Suits a small pendant.	R12,990
Snake, or herringbone	Flat plates forming one smooth surface. Lies flat against the skin.	R15,990
Marina and anchor	A bar across each link. Adds strength and a nautical look.	R18,250
Belcher	Round open links. The classic South African gold chain, and the safest choice for a heavy pendant.	R18,990
Anchor, 18ct rose gold	Fine at 1.30mm. Layers well with yellow gold.	R19,940
Rope, 5mm	A statement chain with the weight to match.	R36,900

Box chains, cable chains and gucci link are stocked in both metals as well. Browse them in gold chains and necklaces and sterling silver chains and necklaces.

Gold, silver or rose gold

	9ct gold	18ct gold	Rose gold	Sterling silver
Hallmark	375	750	375 or 750	925
What it is	37.5% pure gold	75% pure gold	Gold with copper in the alloy	92.5% pure silver
Tarnish	None	None	None	Darkens, cleans off
Hardness	Harder, takes knocks	Softer, marks more easily	Hardest of the three golds	Soft, dents if very fine
Best for	Daily wear	Colour and pendants	Layering and warmer skin tones	Everyday wear and gifting
From	R9,790	R19,940	R19,940	R75

Most people buying a chain to wear every day should buy 9ct. It is the harder metal, it costs less for the same weight, and it is hallmarked gold either way. Keep 18ct for the pieces where colour matters. Silver gives you the same look as gold for a fraction of the cost, and surface tarnish comes off with a polishing cloth in minutes.

Getting the length right

Length is the most common reason a chain ends up in a drawer. Hold a piece of string where you want the chain to sit, then measure it against a ruler in centimetres.

Length	Where it sits	Who it suits
40cm	High on the neck, close to a choker	Layering, and open necklines
45cm	Just below the collarbone	The standard women’s length, and the best length for a pendant
50cm	Top of the chest	A slightly longer, more relaxed look
55cm	Base of the neck	The standard men’s length
60cm	On the chest	A broader frame, or worn over a jumper

If you are buying a gift and cannot measure, 45cm suits most women and 55cm most men. If you plan to layer, leave at least 5cm between each chain so they do not tangle.

Choosing a width

Width	Feel	Wears well with
1mm to 2mm	Fine and delicate	A small pendant, or layered with wider chains
2mm to 4mm	Clearly visible, comfortable all day	Worn alone, or carrying most pendants
4mm to 7mm	Bold with real weight	The usual men’s choice
Above 7mm	A statement piece	Worn on its own, with a strong clasp to match

Gold is priced by the gram, so a 5mm chain costs far more than a 2mm chain in the same style and length. If you are unsure, 2mm to 4mm is the range most people end up happiest with.

Choosing a chain for a pendant

Three things decide whether the pairing works. Check the bail first, because a thick belcher will not pass through a fine opening. Match the weight next, keeping heavy pendants on belcher, curb or box chains and fine chains for light pendants. Then match the metal, so both pieces age at the same rate. A heavy pendant on a fine chain wears through the bail and eventually breaks.

Browse pendants to find the piece that goes with your chain. Several necklaces here already come with one, including the Gold Crucifix Pendant on Chain at R13,670.

Personalised chains and necklaces

A personalised necklace is the piece people keep. There are 32 designs, made to order with a name, an initial, a date or a word that matters to you, in sterling silver, gold plated silver or solid gold.

The Classic Personalised Name Necklace starts at R995 and is the one we make most. The Personalised Stacked Ring Necklace at R1,095 works for families and anniversaries. The Mama Chain in Block Letters and the Personalised Joined Hearts Necklace are both R1,850, and the Layered Initial and Name Necklace at R2,595 arrives already layered so the lengths sit correctly. Each piece is cut to your wording, so order early before a birthday. See them all in personalised necklaces.

Explore the chains and necklaces collection

Product counts are live.

Category	What is in it	Pieces
Gold chains and necklaces	Solid 9ct and 18ct in curb, figaro, rope, belcher, snake and gucci link	46
Sterling silver chains and necklaces	925 silver in every style, the best value in the collection	40
Personalised necklaces	Name chains, initials and engraved pendants, made to order	32
Mens chains	Heavier curb, figaro and rope chains, and dog tags	21
Necklaces	Designer and pendant necklaces rather than plain chains	18
Rose gold chains and necklaces	A warmer tone, and the easiest metal to layer with	11
Gold plated chains	The lower price point, plated rather than solid	4
Pendants	Crosses, initials, hearts and charms to hang on your chain	51

Looking wider? The gold chains category holds 58 pieces filed under the gold tree, and sterling silver chains holds 42.

Wearing and caring for your chain

Put your chain on last, after perfume, sunscreen and hairspray, and take it off before you swim. Chlorine attacks the alloys mixed into both gold and silver, and it is harder on jewellery than seawater is.

Clean gold with warm water, a drop of mild soap and a soft brush through the links, then dry it fully. Clean silver with a polishing cloth, or a silver dip for heavier tarnish. Avoid toothpaste and bicarbonate, because both scratch a polished finish.

Store each chain separately and fastened, and lay herringbone and omega chains flat rather than folded. Check the clasp every few months. A worn clasp spring is the most common way people lose a chain, and it costs almost nothing to replace before it fails.

Delivery

Free insured delivery anywhere in South Africa, including Cape Town, Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, Gqeberha and Bloemfontein. Orders are tracked from our Cape Town workshop to your door. Personalised pieces are made to order, so allow extra time on those.

Questions

Keep looking

By metal. Gold chains and necklaces, sterling silver chains and necklaces, rose gold chains and necklaces and gold plated chains.

More gold. Gold jewellery, gold chains, gold pendants, gold earrings and gold bangles.

More silver. Sterling silver jewellery, sterling silver chains, sterling silver pendants and sterling silver bracelets.

For him. Mens chains, mens bracelets, mens wedding rings and all mens jewellery.

Also worth a look. Personalised jewellery, personalised necklaces, pendants, necklaces and bracelets.

Guides. Gold jewellery South Africa and 9ct gold bangles, including prices, hallmarks and how to spot plated gold.

Or start from the Aria Jewellery homepage.