How to Choose the Right Necklace Length

They are exquisite jewels - even the oldest civilizations agree. They change your clothes and change your outfit from day to night. Undoubtedly, they will enhance any look from your wardrobe. We're talking necklaces and necklace lengths: short, long, pretty and statement — and everything in between.

Necklaces have been around since ancient civilizations. The earliest discovery of jewelry, a simple necklace made of fish bones, dates back to about 25,000 years ago and was discovered in a cave in Monaco. These days, there are many more fish in the sea as the market is exploding with different necklace designs, different necklace lengths and styles with an abundance of embellishments.

Starting with history, we delve into the world of neckpieces – covering where and how to wear them based on their length and types.

A Brief History of Necklaces

Different civilizations chose different necklace lengths and necklace types at certain points in history. The earliest necklaces known to man were made of natural shells, bones, stones and teeth collected from successful hunting expeditions. These were later replaced by fashionable bells – and various prehistoric burial sites attest to their popularity. The ancient Egyptians made glass beads and glazed pottery, which they later used to make different types of necklaces.

The invention of the chain was soon followed by the invention of the medallion – and these became popular in ancient Egypt and among the Romans and Greeks of the time. Often, pendants were symbolic charms, used by the wearer as talismans of protection against evil.

Necklaces enjoyed another flourishing era during the Renaissance, when they surpassed the popularity of brooches and became a symbol of wealth and social status. After the Renaissance years, necklaces faded from the limelight. Reason: 17th-century fashions featured high-necked dresses with ruffles and lace collars.

Necklines and Necklaces

The necklace length of popular pieces at any given time in history depends on the fashionable necklines of the era. As a general rule, embellished necklines went forward with necklaces, while low-cut necklines were accompanied by precious neckpieces. Short necklaces such as chokers and collars were at their peak in popularity in the 15th and 16th centuries, when many portraits feature these pieces worn over collarbones or high up around the neck. The Victorian era brought fashionable matching jewelry, with matching earring styles, many types of bracelets, pendants, and brooches becoming standard. Necklaces were reserved for evening wear, while pendants and brooches were a daytime staple. In the late Victorian period (end of the 19th century), high-collared dresses were more common, but evening dresses were reserved for embellishment, often with multiple pearl necklaces of varying lengths or a multi-layered pearl choker.

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