Silver-Tone Rope Chain

A silver-tone rope chain for a pendant, or for layering

A rope chain is twisted, so it already has texture on its own. That makes it a strong base for a pendant and a good anchor in a two-chain stack. This page is about those two uses. The silver here is a color: our rope chains are stainless steel or titanium steel in a silver tone, never silver metal.

If you only want to compare rope widths, our men's rope chains page covers that in detail.

Wearing a pendant on a rope chain

A rope chain carries a pendant well because its round, closed profile does not twist flat under the weight. Three rules keep it looking right:

• Match the width to the pendant. A 3 mm rope suits a pendant up to about the size of a coin. A larger cross or medallion looks better on 4 or 5 mm.
• Go one length longer. A pendant pulls the chain down a little and needs room. If you wear 20" without a pendant, take 22" with one.
• Check the bail. The loop on the pendant has to pass the clasp and the chain. Most bails pass a 3 or 4 mm rope easily.

The simplest way to get it right is to buy them together: the compass pendant rope chain necklace puts an open compass rose on a rope chain, in silver-tone or gold-tone, with an optional extra 5 mm rope chain.

Layering with a rope chain

Keep about 2 inches between the two chains so they do not tangle, and keep them in the same tone. The braided titanium steel chain (3 mm, bare steel, 20" to 24") works as either chain in a stack. For the fine top chain, our box chains start at 1.2 mm.

Care

Shower, sea and pool are fine. Rinse the chain in clean water after salt or chlorine, since the twists hold residue, and dry it before you put it away. Perfume and chlorine wear a plating with time; bare silver-tone steel has no plating to lose. Store a pendant chain flat or hung so the pendant does not knot the rope.