15 Most Popular Necklace Designs for Women

15 Most Popular Necklace Designs for Women

Choosing your favorite length will be easy once you read our helpful guide. Click here to learn more about the 15 most popular necklace designs for women.

Keyword(s): necklace designs

 

The necklace is one of the most elegant pieces of jewelry any women can have in her collection. The everlasting favorite of the red-carpet, the necklace is capable of not only completing a look but adding to it as well.

It's the most exciting and seductive part of any outfit, often so mesmerizing that you pick the outfit around the necklace. With such a wide array of necklace designs being available though, many women have a meltdown when trying to decide what necklace to pick.

What type of necklace would you pick for a particular occasion and what design is a great all-rounder?

To make this difficult task a little easier, we've put together this article to inspire you with the 15 most popular necklace designs for women.

Keep on reading to learn more.

The Different Lengths of Typical Necklace Designs

The number of people who bought fine jewelry in the US in the last 12 months topped 30 million. Although there are so many people buying new jewelry, not everyone knows the different lengths of necklaces.

Understanding this can make purchasing the right length of the necklace a lot easier. Knowing the length, matching up with the right design can make the whole shopping process a lot easier.

No necklaces are the exact same sizes. There will always be varieties of how you can wear them but here are the typical lengths of necklace designs:

• Collar - 12 to 14 inches
• Choker - 14 to 16 inches
• Princess - 16 to 18 inches
• Matinee - 20 to 22 inches
• Opera - 30 to 36 inches
• Rope - 36 inches and above

As you can see, necklaces come in a variety of different lengths and sizes. Make sure to consider other jewelry you'll be wearing to decide which will be the best size for layering.

The 15 Most Popular Necklace Designs

To inspire you on the best type of necklace designs, we've compiled the 15 most popular necklace designs for you to choose from.

Let's get started.

BONUS: Adjustable-Length Chains

High-quality chains are a staple in any jewelry collection. Sterling silver or gold are always the most popular options, although gold vermeil is quickly becoming a favorite medium for jewelry designers and consumers alike. 

The frustration with fixed-length chains is that it's very difficult to get the perfect length without buying several different chains in a variety of lengths. 

Meet the adjustable-length chain. 

Say goodbye to fixed-length necklaces and hello to endless possibilities as our gorgeous adjustable chain allows you to find the PERFECT LENGTH for every situation. 

1. A Festoon Necklace

The Festoon necklace design dates back centuries; Festoons originated from Greece meaning a wreath or garland of woven flowers, leaves and branches. The festoon necklace designs reflect this in its design, consisting of threads of chain and other elements that are interwoven into a draping necklace.

Even though you can trace it's origins back to ancient times, it hasn't stopped the Festoon being a staple design of the contemporary everyday wardrobe.

You can often spot a Festoon necklace by their draping elements, and the design featured heavily in the Art Nouveau and Victorian eras. You will often find the Festoon necklace designs accented with gemstones, pearls, and precious metals.

2. Lavalier Necklace

The lavalier necklace design came about at the beginning of the twentieth century. Consisting of a slender chain with a small pendant that has decorative stones or elements hanging from it this sleek and very feminine style of the necklace has been popular for years.

Many lavalier designs also connect a petite chain to a much larger focal piece. This design of necklace often looks best with a feminine, light or bohemian fashion.

You will typically find these to sit at princess length and sit below the collarbone.

3. Single Strand Pendant

The single strand pendant can feature either a silver or a gold chain and will have a single focal piece or element. This jewelry design is one of the most popular ones available and wearing a pendant necklace can be one of the most versatile pieces in your wardrobe.

With such a vast array of pendants available to choose from though, it can be one of the most versatile pieces in your necklace collection. Your pendant could feature a precious gem, an element or even a small charm.

The beauty of a pendant necklace is it's easily customizable;you can make them stand out as gifts by personalizing them with initials. You could even select one that matches your birthstone which won't overpower your wardrobe.

4. Beaded Necklace

 

Beaded necklaces have been hugely popular since ancient times, with the Egyptian pharaohs of old even joining in the fun. Today you will find women wearing a variety of beaded necklaces made from all sorts of materials such as:

• Glass beads
• Crystal beads
• Clay beads
• Crocheted seed beads
• Coral beads

You can often find these necklaces paired up with t-shirts, casual dresses and even a sweater with jeans.

The classic beaded necklace designs such as a pearl necklace or graduated necklaces are also popular among modern-day fashionistas.

5. Lariat Necklace Designs

Lariat necklace designs are often longer in length than an opera length. These are often referred to as rope or Y-necklaces.

The lariat is unique compared to other necklaces designs in that it doesn't have a clasp. The beads or chain forms a very long rope that you can tie or pull through a rounded finder.

The lariat necklace will often sit just below the belly button, but you can wrap it around the throat a few times to form a choker.

6. Charm Necklace

A charm necklace is very similar in design and style to a traditional charm bracelet. Charm necklaces are popular not only as fashion accessories but also as collectible gifts.

The general feeling of a charm necklace is that it can be fun and casual, and feature a variety of charms that are relevant to the wearer. Charm designs have become especially popular in recent years thanks to the trends set by companies such as Pandora.

If you want to mix up the styling, try going for a vintage style charm necklace instead. It doesn't get any more vintage than 2000-year-old Roman Glass. 

7. Choker/Collar

Choker necklace designs have been popular since the Middle Ages and are a design which sits snugly around the neck. Designs like the Cleopatra-inspired piece above are more collar-like. You can usually adjust the sizing of most choker necklaces easily with different fastenings around the neck.

Many people have custom-made chokers made to a specific length. Chokers are often made of either one single piece of material or made of multiple different small elements.

Chokers are most popular in velvet, gold, and ribbon and were a common option during the Victorian era. Recently these neck-hugging jewelry design has come back into fashion taking runways by storm all over the world.

The choker can either sit very high on the neck or just below the collarbone;you'll find that the second option will be a little longer and dangle more freely.

Some choker designs will also feature a pendant which dangles from the center. Amber pendant designs have been popular in the past. Over the centuries necklaces have always stayed in fashion, chokers, however, have gone in and out of fashion consistently.

Looking back to when the neckline of clothing was a lot lower, the choker made a great statement piece. Some even layered choker after choker, until they covered their entire neck in diamonds and other luxury materials.

8. Bib Necklace Design

A bib necklace consists of a variety of different layered chains or a single large element which would cover up the entire breastbone. A recent variation of this theme is more dainty in appearance but maintains the layers of a bib. These high-end jewelry designs have been popular for years but often are expensive.

The total US spend on jewelry in 2017 amounted to over $17,882 million of which you can be sure this type of necklace designs are very popular within.

The bib necklace designs can often leave quite an impression and will often allow you to stand out, no matter the occasion. You'll usually find most bib necklace designs worn as statement pieces paired with formal wardrobe choices.

9. Altered Art Necklaces

Altered art necklaces are very popular in 2018. These necklaces feature a huge variety of mixed materials including but not limited to:

• Charms
• Faux pearls
• Vintage lockets

Often these types of necklaces will showcase costume jewelry and can be a collaboration of different pieces coming together into one artful necklace. You can wear these types of necklaces with casual clothing including sweaters, jeans, and t-shirts.

With a lot of new trends to watch in 2018, altered art necklaces will be among them.

10. Shoulder Necklace

Shoulder necklaces are a massively underrated piece of jewelry which captures a truly feminine look. This type of necklace is often used for formal occasions such as weddings or galas.

Going for a bold style shoulder necklace away from the formal venues would be sure to invite excitement into your wardrobe.

11. Princess Necklaces

Princess necklaces will often stand out based on their length or their style. The length is a little longer than a traditional choker but shorter than matinee necklaces. The 18-inch length is widely regarded as one of the universal lengths of necklaces and one of the most flattering.

You'll find that pendants or focal pieces of a princess necklace will often hang just below the collarbone. This style of necklace is one of class and elegance and will often have shining rhinestones and have slender shapes typically with a single drop point.

This type of necklace is almost certainly reserved for formal events, but you could pair it with a blazer and v-neck combination for work if wanted.

12. The Riviere Necklace

A Riviere necklace has one or two separate rows of precious gemstones. Many designs actually feature semi-precious gemstones as well.

As the necklace continues the stones may gradually become smaller in size as they reach the back. You'll find the length of these necklaces to be either princess or collar length.

Traditionally, the links of the necklace are usually close together so you cannot see the joins, this helps to create an effect of a gradual stream of stones together. The design of these necklaces focuses on emphasizing the beauty of the stones, not the design of the necklace.

It's often considered a classic choice for a formal event or special occasion.

13. A Locket

A locket is a very traditional style of pendant necklace. You will find many families passing down lockets from generation to generation.

The locket has a small compartment pendent which holds a picture or a small memento. You will find lockets to be very personal and sentimental.

Lockets were especially popular during the Victorian era, and you'd find many lockets with engravings and have a lock of a loved one's hair inside.

Lockets can have a variety of different chains but will often pair best with an opera length chain;they usually come as standard with a princess-length chain. You can mix and match a locket with a longer chain to sit alongside a choker necklace for a multi-layered necklace design.

14. Negligee

The negligee is actually an evolved version of the lavalier that we covered earlier on in this article. Don't confuse these with the negligee nightgown worn by women, this style of necklace actually originates from the early 19th century, part of the Edwardian era.

You will find that these necklaces focus on two none matched sized drops, sitting asymmetrical and irregularly shaped, they connect to a central pendant. You will find a negligee to be longer in length.

15. Sautoir

Sautoir is a fancy term used by the people of France to describe a long necklace with a pendant at the bottom. A sautoir has a multiple or single length necklace with dangling threads and sometimes dotted with decorative links.

You will find the ends covered in tassels or pendants which can add a nice movement to the ends of the necklace.

A sautoir can have individual elements such as beads and other materials or charms on a thread. You can have these in a variety of different sizes from 60cm designs to the very long 90cm necklaces made famous by the fashion trends of Coco Chanel.

What Type of Necklace Will You Choose?

With so many amazing necklace designs available to choose from, it's easy to see why the necklace has been a staple part of fashion for centuries. At Roman Designer Jewelry, we're partnered with top and creative designers in over 27 countries to source authentic and quality jewelry pieces. We don't use middlemen, so you can expect fair prices for every piece you buy from us.

Take the time to select the right jewelry for any occasion. However, there's no reason why you can't wear any necklace design for any occasion. For help in picking the perfect necklace choice for you, get in touch with us today.