It's the question that gives you pause when ordering, and the only one you can't answer by eye. A centimetre more or less changes where the piece sits, and so everything about how it looks.
Measuring your neck without a tape measure
Take a shoelace, a piece of string or a phone charger. Wrap it around the base of your neck, without pulling tight — you should be able to slip a finger underneath. Mark the crossing point with your thumb, lay the lace flat and measure it with a ruler. That's your neck size.
Most adult necks fall between 32 and 38 cm. A necklace is always chosen longer than this measurement: it's the gap that decides how high it sits.
What the common lengths give you
At 40 cm, the necklace hugs the base of the neck: this is the choker, visible with an open collar and gone under a closed one. At 42 cm, it sits just below the collarbone — the most versatile length, visible on bare skin or over a t-shirt. At 45 cm and beyond, it falls onto the upper chest and layers well with a shorter second necklace.
Why 42 cm plus 5
All our pieces are 42 cm, with a 5 cm extension chain. It's not a shortcut: it's what lets a single piece go from 42 to 47 cm, covering nearly every adult neck without having to pick a size blind.
In practice, if your neck is under 37 cm, wear it closed at the first link. Beyond that, open the chain by one or two notches.
What changes with the neckline
On a round neck, a short necklace sits on the fabric and shows in full. On a V-neck, a medium length follows the line of the neckline and lengthens it. On an open shirt, the same piece rests on the skin between the two sides: that's where the glass charms stand out best, because nothing competes with them.
The only case where you should measure twice
If it's a gift. You can't ask the person their neck size without giving the game away — but the extension chain makes the question almost moot. That's exactly why an adjustable necklace is a better gift than a ring.
