We love how layering necklaces can effortlessly elevate your look. Choosing pieces that complement or contrast each other can create different shapes, silhouettes, and gorgeous combinations with your treasured pendant pieces and chains.
If you want to start experimenting with necklace layering, read on to learn how to do it and some of our favourite ways to stack, layer and style your collection.
How to layer necklaces
When it comes to layering necklaces, there generally are no rules - you can be as creative as you’d like, pairing pieces to create unique-to-you combinations. However, if you’re not sure where to start, there are a few things to consider, including choosing the right necklace lengths, styles, and metals, plus how to avoid tangling. Read on for our necklace layering tips and tricks…
Consider your outfit’s neckline
Whether you’re wearing just one necklace or layering multiple for a stacked look, it’s always a good idea to consider the neckline of the outfit you’ll be wearing. It’s worth saying again here that there are no rules here really, but some like to style with necklines in mind; if you’ve put on a necklace to complete your look, and it doesn’t sit quite right, it could be due to the neckline-and-necklace combination you’ve chosen.
If you’re planning on a busy, statement necklace stack, you might prefer to wear this against a bare chest to allow your necklaces to take centre stage. In this instance, choose scoop neck, v-neck, or strapless clothing. If you prefer to layer necklaces over your clothes, choose a block colour top as opposed to one with a busy pattern - this will avoid your thoughtfully curated necklace stack from getting lost.
Carefully consider your necklace lengths
When choosing which necklaces you want to layer, pay attention to their lengths. It’s best practice to choose necklaces of different lengths, as this allows each one to be properly seen when layered. This also means that the pendants are less likely to hit or rub against each other as much, which is especially important if your chosen necklaces are made of metals of varying hardness and, therefore, durability.
You can, of course, wear necklaces of the same length together; however, this does increase the risk of them becoming tangled and potentially even damaged (more on this below).
A majority of our necklaces are available in a choice of lengths, making it easy to know what you can layer when updating your necklace collection.
Do you want to match or mix metals?
For a cohesive look, match the metals of the necklaces you’re layering together. Many jewellery lovers prefer either cooler-toned silver jewellery or warm yellow gold, so this is usually easy, as their collection will contain only their preferred metal colour, making them all suitable for layering and wearing together. If wanting to match, choose pieces that have the same purity so they look cohesive, for example, all pieces being 925 sterling silver, or of the same carat gold.
Alternatively, if you love both cool- and warm-toned metals and you're not afraid of mixing your metals, you could bring this into your necklace styling too. Mixing metals is a great way to create a contemporary, modern look, and is just another way to express yourself with jewellery!
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How to mix metals when layering necklaces
If you choose to mix your metals in your necklace stack, choosing pieces of similar style can help bring some balance into this playful, contrasting look. We also love mixing metals elsewhere at the same time; for example, wearing both silver-toned and gold-toned rings, or mixing the metals of your ear stack - this can make your whole mixed metal jewellery look more intentional and considered.
How to layer necklaces without tangling
A common issue that many face when layering necklaces is tangling. When delicate chains are worn together, tangling is very common; however, there are some ways you can avoid or minimise the risk of it:
The first is what we touched on earlier, which is to choose necklaces of different lengths. This allows each piece to be fully visible while not occupying the same space, reducing the risk of them overlapping, becoming knotted together, or getting damaged over time.
You can also reduce the risk of tangling by layering chains with different designs, weight, and texture, as these are less likely to become interlocked. Layer lighter styles beneath chunkier or weightier ones, as these can keep the lighter chains in place. We also love how this can create a varied, interesting look!
The clasp-swap hack is also a good way to avoid your layered necklaces from tangling. Simply clasp necklace A onto the end of necklace B, and necklace B onto the end of necklace A. This intentionally holds the necklaces together and in place, reducing the chance of them spinning and knotting.
For more jewellery care advice, visit our guide here
5 necklace layering ideas for 2026
Now you know the do’s and don’ts, it’s time to get styling. If you’re looking for some inspiration, discover our top 5 necklace layering ideas below.
Stacking pendant necklaces and chains
Perhaps the most common way to layer necklaces is to style pendant and chain necklaces together. We love wearing a chain as the shortest necklace, with one or two pendant pieces of longer lengths, creating a flattering tapered effect. We love how our Hayseed Chain Necklace looks with two of our dainty pendant necklaces from our Bloom collection; pair it with our Lucky Star Necklace and Sunburst Necklace to create a whimsical sun and stars stack.
For a more unique combination, we love stacking a bolder statement chain with a daintier pendant piece. Our Lucky Star Necklace is worn beneath our Silver Leaf Necklace for a layered look that celebrates juxtaposing textures and shapes found in nature.
Stacking chain necklaces together
Another timeless stacking style is layering multiple chain necklaces together. We love this simple mix-and-match look, layering our simple Rope Layering Chain with one with a touch of dainty detail: our Tiny Sun Charm Necklace.
For a layered chain combination with a bolder finish, stack both lengths of our new Silver Chunky Snake Chain, a flat snake chain that catches the light when worn. Available in both 40cm and 45cm, it’s perfect for wearing alone or together for a statement stack.
The diamond necklace stack
Often, a diamond necklace is a wonderful piece to wear on its own, with no layering needed. However, if you want to elevate your diamond necklace look, perhaps for a special occasion, we love how they look with our Hayseed Layering Necklace. The way this layering chain catches the light adds some extra subtle sparkle, complementing our Gold Solitaire Diamond Necklace beautifully.
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The nature-inspired necklace stack
We’re forever inspired by nature when designing our jewellery, and it’s often something we look to when styling our necklaces together. For a layered necklace look that honours magical charms found in nature, we adore how our Mini Acorn Necklace pairs with our Oak Leaf Necklace.
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Trending: Double pendant necklaces
While not strictly necklace layering in the traditional sense, we love how double or multiple pendant necklaces give a similar layered/stacking effect on a single chain! We designed our Lucky Number Pendant Necklace with this trend in mind, allowing you to add extra pendants, making it personal to you - perfect as a milestone birthday gift, anniversary gift, or to hold a special number close.
We also created our exclusive Lucky Charm Double Pendant Necklace Set, featuring a layering favourite, our Lucky Star Necklace, with a Lucky Number Charm of your choice, paired together in an easy-to-gift set that already has a 10% saving applied compared to purchasing separately.
Top tip: Make sure the chain you are adding multiple pendants to is strong enough to hold them! If in doubt, choose a thicker, sturdier chain, or smaller pendants.
You can discover sustainably made layering necklaces from Wild Fawn on our website. Each is made using 100% recycled solid sterling silver or 9ct gold in the UK. Discover chains, pendant necklaces and personalised necklaces that are perfect for styling your own layered necklace stack.
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Read next: how to stack earrings
