What a Milano chain is, then its width, its grams at each length, its gold, its length and its clasp
A Milano chain, also sold as figarope, is a rope twist with flat Figaro links set into it. Some jewelers give the Milano name to a smooth tube or mesh chain instead, so look at the photos: every chain on this page is the twist, in solid 14K gold from 3 to 8 mm. Buyers here pick 3 to 3.5 mm most often, so start there.
The link: what a Milano chain is, against Figaro and rope
A Milano chain is a rope twist with flat Figaro links set into it at a steady beat. A plain rope chain is the spiral alone, and a Figaro chain lies flat, its long and short links in a row. The flat links break that spiral into a rhythm, so a Milano looks busier up close and throws light at every turn. Each one here is solid gold all the way through.
Width: a 3 mm, 4 mm, 5 mm or 8 mm Milano chain
Take 3 mm for every day. It lies close at the collar and carries a light pendant, and 3 to 3.5 mm is where most Milano buyers here land, so it is the safe first pick. Go wider when the chain itself is the piece. The 8 mm is the widest of our Milano chains, a heavy yellow chain worn by itself. Three-tone runs from 3 up to 5 mm, and yellow comes at 3, 5.5 and 8.
Grams: what a Milano chain weighs, length by length
Grams climb much faster than width, since a wider link is also a thicker one. At 20 inches, the 5 mm three-tone weighs more than three times the 3 mm, so read the grams in the table below before you settle on a width. The grams are the gold around your neck. Where a Milano listing offers several lengths, tap one and the page shows its weight in grams. For another length, ask the live chat what yours would weigh.
Three-tone or yellow: a tri-color gold Milano chain in 14K
Take three-tone if you wear more than one color of gold. Yellow, white and rose 14K turn through the same chain, so it sits easily beside a white gold watch or a rose gold ring, and it is the color most Milano buyers here choose. Take yellow when you want one warm color from end to end. 14K is 58.3 percent gold, hard enough for daily wear, and a real 14K chain is stamped 14K or 585, usually near the clasp.
Length and clasp: a 16, 18, 20, 22 or 24 inch Milano chain
Take 20 inches on a thin Milano and 22 or 24 on a wide one. Among the chains sold at one fixed length, 22 and 20 led. A solid twist carries a pendant well, and our pendants have adjustable bails that fit a wide chain. The listings do not name the clasp, so ask the live chat which one a chain closes with. On a wide, heavy Milano, look for a lobster clasp, which snaps shut and holds the weight. We shorten or lengthen any Milano, and once its length is changed for you, that chain is final sale.