Fine metal chains are used in jewellery to encircle parts of the body, chiefly the neck, wrists and ankles, and they also serve as points to hang decorative charms and pendant

Pendant

A pendant is a loose-hanging piece of jewellery, generally attached by a small loop to a necklace, when the ensemble may be known as a "pendant necklace". A pendant earring is an earring with a piece hanging down. In modern French "pendant" is the gerund form of “hanging”...

s. Unlike industrial or chain

Chain

A chain is a sequence of connected links.Chain may also refer to:Chain may refer to:* Necklace - a jewelry which is worn around the neck* Mail , a type of armor made of interlocking chain links...

s for other purposes, jewellery chains are designed for aesthetic purposes.

Material

Jewellery chains are typically made from precious metals, mainly gold

Gold

Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...

 and silver

Silver

Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...

. Platinum

Platinum

Platinum is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pt and an atomic number of 78. Its name is derived from the Spanish term platina del Pinto, which is literally translated into "little silver of the Pinto River." It is a dense, malleable, ductile, precious, gray-white transition metal...

, palladium

Palladium

Palladium is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Pd and an atomic number of 46. It is a rare and lustrous silvery-white metal discovered in 1803 by William Hyde Wollaston. He named it after the asteroid Pallas, which was itself named after the epithet of the Greek goddess Athena, acquired...

 and steel

Stainless steel

In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....

 may also be used. These metals are used because they are not very reactive, keep both their intricate shape and their strength, and require only minimal maintenance to keep their shine. Small lever mechanisms called findings

Findings

Jewelry findings are the small parts and pieces used in the manufacture and assembly of jewelry. There are many small, standardized parts that are used so often that it's often not economical to make them every time they are needed...

 serve as fastenings to enable the chain to be undone and redone.

Styles

• Trace

often the simplest style of chain. The links in a trace chain are typically uniform in breadth and thickness, and can be very delicate, especially in finer widths.

• Belcher

similar to the trace, a belcher chain link is wider than its thickness. Generally the links are round, but the shape of the link can vary.

• Curb

a curb chain is when the links interlock with each other when laid flat. Some more open-link curb chains can only be distinguished from a trace by this method. This style of chain has the greatest variety of widths available, from a few millimetres to over two centimetres.

• Prince Of Wales

a twisting chain made of small circular links, where each single link has no less than four others joining into it.

• Singapore

may also be called twisted curb, but the links are joined in such a way that, even when the chain is untwisted, there is always a natural curve to it. Usually this chain is sold very fine and has a liquid-like look to it.

• Spiga

small figure-eight links form a 3D chain that feels almost square, and looks as though the wire has been plaited.

• Rope

creates the effect of two twisting strands spiralled together, created by many small links which are not completely joined. One disadvantage of this otherwise strong chain is that, when one link does break, the rest of the chain might follow in succession.

• Anchor

copies the style of the chain that holds large anchors on ships, an oval link with a dividing bar through the middle. The interlinking sections may be of a curb or trace style. Also a version called Maritime where only every other link is an anchor link.

• Figaro
  Figaro chain
  Figaro is a popular gold or silver link chain design that incorporates a pattern of 2 or 3 small circular links with 1 elongated oval link. The most notable figaro chains are manufactured in Italy...
  
  

not really a style but a very popular variation. A number of standard links (usually three) precede an elongated link all the way through. This variation can be replicated by many of the styles mentioned.

• Snake

a very tight-linked chain that has a round or square cross-section and has links that create a slight zigzag look.

• Herringbone

the chain that has the greatest liquid effect, formed from v-shaped links to lay entirely flat. One side can be engraved for greater aesthetics

Aesthetics

Aesthetics is a branch of philosophy dealing with the nature of beauty, art, and taste, and with the creation and appreciation of beauty. It is more scientifically defined as the study of sensory or sensori-emotional values, sometimes called judgments of sentiment and taste...

, and thin strands of herringbone can be twisted or even plaited together.

• Briolette
  Briolette
  A briolette is an elongated pear-shaped gemstone cut with triangular facets. It is 800 years old and was popular during the Victorian times and although its popularity waned thereafter, it has enjoyed a recent resurgence for precious and semi-precious stones....
  
  

also known as Box, briolette is similar to a belcher chain except the links are tighter together and are square in shape, hence the name.

• Bead

formed of small balls of metal joined by small lengths of wire, not longer than each bead in between. Also has its own 'snap over the first link' fastening. Larger steel versions are more often used to hold ID cards than in jewellery, but finer ones may be found for the purpose..

• Wheat

formed of very long, thin teardrop-shape links that all point in the same direction. The join of each link is like a tiny hinge, meaning this style is not as flexible or liquid-like as some others

• Byzantine
  Byzantine Chain
  A Byzantine chain is a metal link chain design used in jewellery that incorporates a rope-like texture and intriguing textural design. The chains are supple and flexible, draping gracefully about the neck. The origin of the name Byzantine is not known....
  
  

an intricate chain that can be made by the hobbyist from jump rings

Jump rings

Jump rings are rings used to make chains, jewelry and chainmaille. They are made by wrapping wire round a mandrel to make a coil and then cutting the coil with wire cutters to make individual rings. The rings can then be assembled one by one into chains, earings, objects such as bowls or...

. Too complex to easily describe.

• Fancy

a fancy chain can be anything; any form of fine metal that can be replicated and joined onto each other to make a chain. Many fancy chains are variations of the standard styles, for example a trace chain formed of heart-shaped links or a curb chain with every other link set with a gemstone

Gemstone

A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...

.