How To Layer Necklaces In 2024

“A medallion necklace serves as the perfect focal point when layering with several pieces, so you want to choose a medium chain length, allowing the [pendant] to fall at the center of your lower décolletage,” says Sydney Evan founder Rosanne Karmes. “I also think medallion necklaces are a great way to express yourself; my evil-eye coin represents love, luck, happiness and protection.” Elsewhere, Marlo Laz’s cult coin necklaces are an elegant choice for anchoring any jewelry stack – look to its personalized initial style, or the brand’s ‘Porte Bonheur’ charm, which is available in an array of colored gemstones. Once you’ve found your favorite, wear it alongside ultra-fine chains or a delicate string of pearls.

While clips and clasps used to be purely functional, several designers are now employing them as a design signature. Gemella and Marie Lichtenberg both offer bar-shaped pendants embellished with an array of precious gems that sit beautifully between your collarbones. Meanwhile, New York-based brand Marla Aaron takes locks and layering to another level, offering elaborate clips that are shaped as stars, lightning bolts and hearts, meaning you can switch up your stack in seconds. “The ‘Babylocks’ [designs] are perfect as a basic layering piece and, when paired with a sturdy chain, they also do more – such as providing a place to hang charms; even allowing you to double up your necklace to turn it into a bracelet,” says Aaron.

“Layering chain necklaces is like creating a story with your jewelry. Each chain, with its unique texture and weight, adds a different chapter. Together, they craft a narrative that is personal and effortlessly chic,” says Shay co-founder Ladan Shayan. “For FW24, I’ll be layering our chain necklaces with different textures and lengths to create a sense of depth and individuality. Pairing a sleek, polished gold chain with a more intricate design adds a rich contrast that’s perfect for the season’s layered outfits,” adds her daughter Tanaz, who is the other half of the mother-daughter design duo. From elongated links to chunky anchor chains, the most notable styles to invest in this season come in classic, vintage-inspired shapes with scintillating details, like the LA-based brand’s pavé-diamond-encrusted style. Elsewhere, David Yurman’s ultra-elevated ‘Madison’ design is inspired by a belt the designer made for his wife Sybil in the ’70s, and is interspersed with signature engraved cable links.

A subtle way to add color into your layered look is to choose a cord necklace. Marie Lichtenberg’s multi-hued silk strings are entirely unique, while Jenna Blake’s silk-cord designs feature diamond-encrusted mariner-style charms that can be effortlessly slipped into an eclectic stack. Designed exclusively for NET-A-PORTER and part of our NET SUSTAIN edit, Jennifer Behr’s braided ‘Natica’ necklace is strung with a beautiful silver-tone shell pendant that looks gorgeous against dark-toned knitwear. “Cord is more playful than a delicate gold chain, and it’s a great base for a necklace with a sculptural pendant,” says Behr. “The single motif makes it easy to incorporate a lot of different elements for layering, too, like charm necklaces and chains,” she adds. “It’s interesting to have contrast in your jewelry.”

As we transition into fall, it’s time to set aside the bright, playful beads you’ve been wearing all summer for those in deeper, more sophisticated hues. Brands like Jia Jia, Irene Neuwirth and Lié Studio are leading the charge, with beautifully bold beads carved from verdant chrome diopside, lapis lazuli and topaz. At once chic and expressive, Lié Studio’s ‘The Mary’ necklace is strung with smooth, blue-dyed jade rondelles that evoke the color of the midnight sky. “Beaded necklaces are ideal for layering due to their versatility and rich texture,” say founders Cecilie and Amalie Moosgaard Nielsen. “Their varied colors and materials offer endless combinations, making them perfect for adding depth and interest to any outfit. For FW24, we’ll style them with a crisp white shirt, a wool blazer or trench coat, and possibly a sweater draped over the shoulders.”

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