Pick the pendant, then the chain that can carry its weight, the metal and the length
Nearly every piece here is a pendant on its own chain, in one listing. Start with the pendant, then make sure the chain can carry it. A light piece hangs fine on a thin chain, but a big silver Jesus piece wants a thick Franco or Cuban that holds it flat without kinking at the bail. Ask us the width when the listing leaves it out. Nearly nine sets in ten bought were silver.
Matched sets: a pendant and its chain in one listing
A set here is one listing, the pendant and the chain picked to carry it. Nearly every title says set or chain, and most let you choose the length. Three listings read as the pendant alone, the D eagle, the RV initial and the Skanderbeg, so ask us before you order one of those. Most pieces here are men's, and the men's sets guide sorts them by kind of pendant. For her, the women's pendant sets are mostly lighter 14K pieces.
Which chain: Franco, Cuban or rope under a heavy pendant
Take a Franco or a Cuban under anything heavy. Where a title names the chain, those two links carried most of the sets bought. A Franco is a square, stiff link that keeps a big piece facing out. A Cuban lies flat and wide on the chest. Most of the small 10K lions come on rope. Only about half the titles name the chain at all, so ask us when yours is silent. The same silver crucifix comes on a Franco, a moon cut, a Miami Cuban and a Cuban curb, in two sizes.
Weight and width: how thick a chain for a heavy pendant
Let the pendant's weight choose the chain's width. A light gold piece of a few grams rides a 2 mm chain well. A heavy silver head wants 3 mm or more, or the chain twists and the pendant turns its back. The big spiked-crown Jesus head shows the difference. It comes on a 3 mm Franco. On the 5 mm Franco, the same head makes a set nearly twice as heavy. Most listings leave the chain's width out, so ask us before you pay. Check that the bail clears the chain, too.
Silver or gold: .925 sterling, 10K or 14K pendant sets
Take silver for size, and gold for a small piece you never take off. Silver gives the bigger, heavier piece, and the middle silver listing weighs about 33 grams. The middle 14K listing comes in near 13 grams. 10K wears harder and a shade paler, while 14K shows the richer yellow. Most gold sets let you pick yellow, white or rose, and about a quarter come in yellow only. Sterling tarnishes as it is worn, and a polishing cloth clears it. Ask whether a listing's grams count the chain.
Length: which chain length to pick for a pendant set
Most sets offer every length from 18 to 24 inches, in two-inch steps. Twenty-four inches was the length bought most. Eighteen came next, for a pendant worn high near the base of the neck. On 24 it drops to mid chest, below an open collar. A heavy piece looks right lower, so give it one of the longer chains. Some silver sets start at 22 inches or come in one length, so read the menu before you choose. Ask us when you need a length the menu does not show.
Questions we get in the store
Does the chain come with the pendant in these sets?
Yes, on nearly every listing here. The pendant arrives on the chain chosen to carry it, and most sets let you pick the length. Three read as the pendant alone, the D eagle, the RV initial and the Skanderbeg, so ask us first.
Which chain holds a heavy pendant best?
A Franco or a Cuban, 3 mm or wider, for anything heavy. Both links keep their shape under weight and hold the pendant facing out, where a thin chain lets it twist. Ask us the width when the listing leaves it out.
Should my set be silver or gold?
Silver, when you want a big piece with real weight to it. Most buyers take .925 silver, nearly nine sets in ten. Choose 14K gold for a small piece you wear every day, and 10K when you want gold that takes knocks.
More questions we get
How thick should the chain be for my pendant?
Match the chain to the pendant's weight. A light gold piece of a few grams hangs well on a 2 mm chain. A heavy silver head wants 3 mm or more, so it hangs flat. The bail has to clear the chain too.
What chain length should I pick for a pendant set?
Twenty-four inches, if you want the pendant mid chest, and it was the length bought most. Take 18 to wear it high near the neck. A heavy piece looks best on one of the longer chains, where it can hang free.
Are the diamonds on these sets natural or lab-grown?
Natural on 42 of the 43 diamond sets, by the origin line on each listing. One silver set reads lab-grown, so ask us before you pay, and ask for the color and clarity grade too.
Can I get the same pendant on a different chain?
Sometimes, as its own listing. A few pendants already come as separate sets on different chains, like the silver crucifix on a Franco, a moon cut and two Cubans. For any other pairing, ask us in the live chat first, or by text or a call on 212-872-9692 from 10 AM ET, before you order.
Can I send a set back after it arrives?
Yes. You have fourteen calendar days from delivery, with the chain and pendant unworn and unaltered. Clear it with customer service first, at service@traxnyc.com or 212-391-3832, then ship only on our return label. We deduct five percent restocking and that label, per the refund policy. Cut chains are final.