Gemstone Pendants

It depends on the design, and the listing for each piece says which. Some pendants are sold on their own to be threaded onto a chain of your choosing; others are supplied complete.

Buying a pendant separately is the more flexible route if you already own chains you like, or if you want to change the length the pendant sits at from time to time.

If you would rather have the whole thing decided for you, the necklace collection holds designs where the stone, the setting and the chain are made together as one piece.

That depends on the bail - the loop at the top of the pendant that the chain passes through. Its opening determines which chains will physically go through it.

A small fixed bail takes only fine chains. A larger or hinged bail accepts heavier chains and cords. Check the bail opening on the listing against the widest point of your chain, including the clasp, before ordering.

If the chain is close to the limit, a jeweller can usually fit a larger bail or an enhancer to the pendant.

The chain should look like it belongs to the pendant: substantial enough to carry it visually, fine enough not to overwhelm it.

There is a structural side to this too. A very fine chain under a heavy pendant concentrates stress at the bail and the jump ring, which is where necklaces usually give way.

As a rough test, hold the two together: if the chain disappears entirely under the pendant, it is probably too light for it; if your eye goes to the chain first, it is too heavy.

Eighteen inches is the length most pendant designs assume, sitting at or just below the collarbone. Sixteen places the pendant higher at the base of the neck. Twenty drops it onto the chest, which works well over a higher neckline.

Because the pendant is separate from the chain, this is not a permanent decision - the same pendant reads quite differently at each length.

Owning two chains of different lengths for one pendant is an inexpensive way to get two distinct looks from a single piece.

Both appear on this page, and each listing names what is set in that particular design.

Where a coloured gemstone is named, that is real gemstone material, mined or laboratory-grown. Where cubic zirconia is named, that is a man-made stone rather than a mineral.

Some designs use both, pairing a coloured centre stone with cubic zirconia accents. That combination is stated on the listing as well.

Yes, and this is one of the best arguments for choosing a pendant. A pendant hangs clear at the neck and takes a small fraction of the knocks a ring takes on a hand.

Stones that need thought in an everyday ring - opal, moonstone, turquoise, tanzanite - are straightforward to wear as a pendant.

The care that still applies is chemical rather than physical. Keep the piece away from perfume, hairspray and lotion, particularly with porous stones, and put jewellery on last.

Choose chain lengths that separate the pendants clearly - about two inches between them is a workable minimum, and with three pieces a widening gradient looks better than even spacing.

Put the largest or most detailed pendant at the bottom where it has room, and keep what sits above it smaller and plainer.

Mixing metal colours is fine and often looks more considered than matching everything. A two-tone or tricolor piece somewhere in the group makes the mix look deliberate.

A pendant hangs from a chain worn at the neck and is usually the focus of the piece. A charm is typically smaller, attaches to a bracelet or to a charm carrier, and is one of several.

The distinction is about how the piece is worn rather than about how it is made, and plenty of small pieces can work as either.

Practically, the difference shows up in the fitting: a pendant has a bail sized for a chain, while a charm usually has a small jump ring or a lobster clasp for attaching to a bracelet.

Not by any special rule, but scale matters more on a cross than on a round stone because the shape is elongated and reads larger than its width suggests.

A small cross worn high on a short chain reads as discreet. A larger one wants a longer chain and more open neckline to sit properly.

If the piece is for a child - for a baptism or a first communion, for example - a smaller scale and a shorter chain usually suit better, and a secure clasp is worth prioritising.

Warm water, a little mild soap and a soft brush, working around the back of the setting where residue collects and dulls the stone from behind. Rinse well and dry with a soft cloth.

Avoid ultrasonic and steam cleaners. They are a real risk to treated stones and to porous material such as opal and turquoise, and to any stone with a fracture reaching the surface.

Store the pendant flat with the chain fastened so nothing tangles, and keep it from resting against harder stones, which will scratch it in a drawer just as readily as in wear.