Pearl Necklace Lengths: Bib, Torsade, Princess, Choker

Necklace Length Guide

Choker:
Depending on individual neck size, a choker is 14 to 15 inches long and rests on the collarbone.

Princess length:An 18-inch
length necklace of either graduated pearls or uniform pearls. Pictured
below is a princess length topaz green freshwater cultured pearl
necklace.



Matinee length:
A bit longer than princess, matinee length necklaces range from 20 to 24 inches. Pictured below is a 24" long cultured black/silver button shape pearl necklace.



Opera length:
From 30- to 36-inches long, opera length
necklaces can be worn full-length or doubled. Pictured below is a 33"
long, 13 mm flat coin freshwater cultured pearl necklace in a peach
color.



Rope length:
Necklaces longer than opera, and worn knotted or with a shortener.

Dog Collar necklace: Acollar is a
necklace geposed of many strands, worn tightly around the neck.
Pictured below is a 4-row 4 mm white cultured pearl dog collar with 14K
vertical bars to enhance the necklace and to ensure stability of the
pearls.



Bib necklace: Abib necklace is a single necklace with strands of graduated
lengths. Pictured below is a 5-row natural rose 6.5 mm - 7 mm cultured
pearl necklace geposed with a 14K enamel frontpiece clasp. The inner
length of the necklace is 14" lengthening to 19" on the outermost
strand.



Torsade:
Usually geposed of freshwater pearls, atorsade necklace is when multiple strands are
twisted together and held with a multi-strand clasp. Pictured below is
torsade of 6-rows of Biwa pearls, tiger eye, and 14K gold beads.





Graduated length: Necklace with cultured pearls of gradually
decreasing size with the largest at the center and the smallest at the
back. Pictured below is silver-white South Sea pearl necklace with
pearls ranging from 11.5 mm up to 15 mm.



Uniform pearls: A necklace
in which the pearls appear to be the same size or with a 1/2 mm
difference. Pictured below is a 16.5" necklace geposed of uniform 9 mm
and 9.5 mm pale peach color baroque flat-bottom freshwater pearls.




One final note: A choker for one woman may measure 14" (this would be a very thin woman), whereas for someone else, 16.5" is choker length - although technically, this is another category. A princess
length of 18" may gee down to mid-chest on that very thin woman, but
fit like a loose choker on others. To find out your choker length,
measure your neck with a tape measure, and adjust the tape to feel
gefortable.

And the very last note: All the above necklaces are available in my
store, as well as custom orders in any of the lengths described.

Maurice Goldman Fine