Gold Chain Types: Styles, Strength, Lengths and Marks

The main gold chain styles are curb, with flat interlocking links; Cuban, a heavier rounded curb; figaro, with short links broken by a longer one; belcher or rolo, with round links; trace, with oval links; box, with square links; rope, twisted links; and the smooth snake and herringbone chains.

Curb, Cuban, belcher, box and wheat chains are the strongest for everyday wear, because their solid links spread the strain. Rope chains are strong if well made. Snake and herringbone chains are smooth and flat but can kink or bend permanently and are hard to repair. A heavier gauge and a secure clasp add strength.

Lengths are measured end to end. A 16 inch (40 cm) chain sits at the base of the neck, 18 inches (45 cm) at the collarbone and is the usual women's length, 20 to 22 inches (50 to 55 cm) suits most men, and 24 inches (60 cm) and longer hangs lower. Chokers are about 14 inches.

Rarely. 24KT gold is almost pure and too soft for most chains, which stretch and wear quickly. In the UK, chains are usually 9KT (375), 14KT (585), 18KT (750) or 22KT (916). 12 carat is not a UK hallmarking standard. Check the stamp on the clasp or the tag beside it.

750 means 18KT gold, 75% pure. Italian chains also carry a registration mark: a star, a number for the maker and a province code, such as AR for Arezzo or VI for Vicenza, Italy's chain-making centres. Chains sold in the UK may also carry a UK hallmark or the international Convention mark.

Gold chains can stretch slightly over years as the links wear at the joints, and thin chains can snap if caught. A jeweller can solder a broken link, replace a clasp or shorten a chain. Snake and herringbone chains are the hardest to repair invisibly, and kinks in them are usually permanent.

Gold does not rust. Solid gold chains can get wet, but chlorine in pools and hot tubs can weaken low-carat alloys over time, and soap builds up between the links. Rinse a chain in clean water after swimming, dry it, and clean it now and then in warm soapy water with a soft brush.

Black marks on the skin usually come from makeup or sunscreen rubbing tiny particles off the metal, or from the copper and silver in low-carat gold reacting with sweat. 9KT gold discolours more readily than 18KT. A rash can mean an allergy to nickel, sometimes used in white gold or plated chains.

A solid gold chain can be worn every day, but take it off for sport, heavy work, swimming in chlorinated water and sleeping if it is fine, because those are when chains catch, kink or break. Check the clasp regularly, as a worn spring ring or lobster clasp is the usual cause of a lost chain.

Men often choose curb, Cuban, figaro, rope or box chains in a medium to heavy gauge at 20 to 24 inches. Women often choose finer trace, belcher, box, snake or rope chains at 16 to 18 inches, alone or with a pendant. For daily wear, choose a solid chain with a secure clasp.

A solid gold chain always keeps the value of its gold, and well-made, heavy or signed chains, and antique chains such as Victorian Albert chains, can be worth more than their gold. Hollow and plated chains contain little or no gold. Send photographs and the clasp stamp for a free valuation.

Most gold chains do not. They carry a metal stamp, such as 375 or 750, a maker's or registration mark and, in the UK, a hallmark. Some designer chains, from houses such as Cartier, Tiffany & Co. and Bvlgari, are engraved with the house name and a serial number on the clasp or a tag.

You can sell a gold chain to a specialist jewellery buyer, a dealer or an auction house. We buy solid gold chains of every style, including antique Albert chains and signed designer chains. Send photographs of the chain and the stamp on the clasp for a free valuation; you are paid the same day after inspection, by bank transfer.

Antique Albert chains are sold by specialist antique jewellers, dealers and auction houses. Look for a hallmark on each link or the clasp, a T-bar and swivel clasp, and even links without solder repairs. Mozeris Fine Antiques lists Albert chains with their gold standard, length and date, and they suit wear as necklaces too.