Kinds: necklaces for women, a cross, a heart, a diamond or a charm
Start with a small cross, a heart or one of the diamond necklaces for women. Crosses sold more than any kind here, 264 of the 721 pieces bought in the year, and three led them: the diamond cross, the Celestial Cluster Cross and the small diamond cross. Hearts came second with 104. Of the 65 hearts, 42 carry diamonds, 10 sapphire or ruby, and 13 hold one heart-shaped stone, from citrine to blue topaz. Shop women's cross pendants or women's heart necklaces.
The 63 diamond pendants and necklaces run from a solitaire to a halo drop, 26 of them in 18K. Most of the 39 flowers and butterflies set their petals and wings with diamonds or sapphires. The 61 charms take in teddy bears, angel wings, keys and horseshoes. 25 pieces carry a hamsa, a Star of David, an evil eye or another sign of faith, and 13 zodiac pieces give all twelve signs in 14K with diamonds. For a row of diamonds all around the neck, the women's tennis necklaces have a page of their own.
Pendant or necklace: does a pendant come with a chain
Read the listing before you order. 142 of the 387 pieces are the pendant alone: no chain length to pick, nothing in the title about a necklace or a set, and no description that says a chain comes with it. Most crosses are sold this way, 25 of the 37, and those 25 took 226 of the 264 crosses bought.
Plan a chain for a pendant, or ask the desk which one suits it, and read which chain for a pendant. The other 245 pieces are listed as a necklace, a set or a chain, or offer a chain length, and 40 of them let you choose between two or more lengths. For a chain alone, see women's gold chains.
Length: what length necklace for a woman, 16, 18 or 20 inches
Take 18 inches when you are not sure. That length rests on the collarbone, where a pendant sits best, and it is the length offered most here, on 91 of those 245. Sixteen hugs the base of the neck, and 31 pieces come at 16 inches alone. Twenty hangs an inch or two lower, and 22 or 24 falls lower again; 38 pieces let you pick 18, 20, 22 or 24 inches. With a crew neck go longer, and with an open collar go shorter.
111 of the 245 print no chain length, so ask the desk before you order. A pendant hangs below the chain by its own height. The necklace length chart shows where each length falls.
Gold: 14K or 18K gold, yellow, white or rose
Take 14K for a necklace she wears every day. 317 of the 387 pieces are 14K, and they were about three in four of the pieces bought. 18K holds more gold, a deeper yellow and a softer face that marks sooner; 45 pieces are 18K, 26 of them diamond pendants and necklaces. 15 are 10K, harder and paler, and 10 are sterling silver. Shop 14K gold necklaces, 18K gold necklaces or every gold necklace for women.
About four listings in five let you pick the color, and 277 offer yellow, white and rose. Keep the pendant and its chain one color. White gold goes back to a jeweler now and then to renew its finish; see the white gold necklaces. Grams are printed on all but two listings: the middle piece here weighs 4.8 grams, and the middle piece bought weighed 3.5. Send a gold piece to a US address and our appraisal of its grams goes with it.
Diamonds and stones: lab-grown or natural diamonds, sapphire and birthstone
Most pieces here carry diamonds, and most of what was bought did too. Nearly every diamond piece names the origin in the title or the listing's details: 263 natural, 30 lab-grown, and 4 a lab-grown center with natural side stones. Grown or mined, both are diamond, and the mined one is scarcer.
Sapphire is the colored stone named most, in 34 titles, from the blue, pink and red sapphire flowers to the sapphire hearts. Pearl, ruby and topaz come next. For her month's stone, see the birthstone necklaces.
Personalized: name necklaces, initial and photo pendants for her
For a gift that is hers alone, choose a name, an initial or a photo. 43 pieces here carry a name, an initial, a letter, a number or a monogram, and 17 hold a photo. The mini initial was bought most of these, 17 in the year: 1.2 grams of 14K on an 18-inch cable chain, in any letter from A to Z and in yellow, rose or white. Shop name pendants, initial pendants or photo pendants.
For a name spelled her way or a photo of your own, send it to the desk in the live chat, spelling and all, or text it to 212-872-9692, where a person reads it from 10 AM ET. A piece made for one person cannot come back, so check the spelling before you pay.