Real Gold Chain

Figaro alternates a longer link with two or three shorter ones, giving a rhythmic pattern and a chain that flexes readily.

Rope is built from segments twisted around a central axis, so it reads as a spiral and catches light from every angle. It is dense for its width.

Cuban and curb links are flattened so they lie against the skin rather than rolling, which makes them read heavier and more solid than an open link of similar weight.

One to three millimetres is a fine chain - it disappears under a collar and is the right choice for carrying a small pendant without competing with it.

Three to six millimetres reads as a chain in its own right and can be worn alone while still carrying a substantial pendant.

Above six millimetres the chain becomes the piece. Bear in mind that the chain also has to be proportionate to any pendant it carries.

A solid chain has links made from solid wire. A hollow chain has links formed from tube, so it reaches the same outside dimensions with substantially less gold.

That is why two chains that look alike can differ considerably in price - gold is sold by weight, and in a chain the weight is essentially the piece.

Hollow construction is what makes a wide chain wearable and affordable. The trade-off is that a hollow link crushes or kinks under a sharp pull where a solid one resists.

A solid chain, almost always. A jeweller opens the failed link, rejoins and solders it, and the repair is essentially invisible.

A hollow chain is harder. The link is a thin shell, so heating it to solder risks collapsing or burning through the tube - repairs are more expensive, more visible, and some breaks are not economically repairable.

If you want a chain that can be fixed and kept for decades, that is the strongest argument for solid construction.

Sixteen inches sits at the base of the neck. Eighteen inches is the most common adult length and lands at or just below the collarbone.

Twenty inches drops onto the chest and suits a higher neckline; twenty-four and beyond sits over clothing and is more common on heavier chains worn alone.

The most reliable method is to measure a chain the wearer already wears often, since that length reflects a preference already tested in practice.

It refers to the finish, not to any diamonds. Small facets are cut into the surface of the links so that they catch and throw light along the length of the chain.

The effect is a noticeably brighter, more sparkling chain without any change in weight or construction.

It is a machining process applied to the gold itself, so it does not wear off the way a plated finish would.

Almost never in the middle. Chains fail at the clasp, at the jump ring beside it, or where a pendant bail rubs against the links - the points where load concentrates.

Glancing at those two or three places when you clean the chain catches most problems while they are still a quick, inexpensive repair.

A very fine chain under a heavy pendant puts real stress on exactly those points, which is why proportion matters structurally and not just visually.

Gold itself does not tarnish, but the alloy metals mixed with it can react over time, and a chain has more surface area than almost any other piece.

It usually shows as a gradual dulling rather than blackening, and it is the result of contact with cosmetics, perspiration, chlorine and cleaning products.

Washing a chain occasionally in warm soapy water and taking it off before swimming prevents almost all of it.

Fasten the clasp before putting it away and lay the chain flat rather than dropping it into a box. That alone prevents most tangling.

Store chains separately from one another - a pouch or a lined compartment each - since chains stored together are what actually knot.

A knotted fine chain is the most common avoidable damage to any necklace, and working a knot out roughly is how a chain gets stretched.

Warm water, a little mild soap and a soft brush, working along the length so the bristles get between the links where residue collects.

Rinse thoroughly and dry completely - water sits between links and inside hollow ones longer than you would expect.

Take the chain off before swimming and cleaning, since chlorine and household chemicals are harder on gold alloys than ordinary wear is.