What Is The Difference Between A Pendant And A Necklace?

Pendants and necklaces are similar in that they are worn around the neck, however, are still two different pieces of jewellery. Many people believe that a necklace and pendants are the same as a necklace and pendant goes hand in hand and are almost always worn together. Additionally, the words “pendant” and “necklace” are used interchangeably and even together at times which can cause additional confusion.

In this blog, we go over what a pendant and necklace are, the difference between a pendant and a necklace and finally determine if a pendant and necklace have anything in common.

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What Is A Pendant?

A pendant is a small piece of jewellery that can be attached to a necklace chain, bracelet or anklet. A pendant is connected to a chain necklace via a small loop known as a bail. Pendants can be worn on almost all parts of the body and often features diamonds, jewels, and lockets and can come in various shapes, sizes and designs.

Pendants are great for adding to a regular chain to add shape and dimension or to make a plain shirt or outfit more interesting.

At Sky Austria, we have a wide selection of pendant designs to choose from including Anubis, Icarus and Katana pendants. 

What Is A Necklace?

A necklace is simply a piece of jewellery that goes around your neck. A necklace often comes in various designs and features different metals, gemstones and links. Traditionally necklaces are constructed from thin metal/wire to form a chain usually from gold or silver and sometimes gemstones are added to the chain and are linked together. In addition to this, all necklaces have no features hanging from them.

The term necklace is a broad term which encompasses many styles including choker, cascade, single-strain, princess and opera necklaces. These necklaces are commonly worn by females around the neck, with a distinguishing feature being that they are dainty and thin compared to male necklaces.

Another type of necklace is the chain, which often resembles a cable chain design. Generally, these types of necklaces are thicker and heavier in both look and weight and feature an industrial appearance and hardier clasps and loops. The popularity of chain necklaces has increased due to their more modern and less classical look.

Learn more about the chain necklaces by reading our guide to chains. 

What Is The Difference Between A Pendant And A Necklace:

In conclusion, the main difference between a pendant and a necklace is that a pendant is entirely separate from a necklace.

The word pendant simply describes a small piece of jewellery that hangs from a chain or necklace. A pendant can often be bought alone and put onto a chain the wearer desires, however, it is often the case that a pendant will come with its necklace or chain. Pendants unlike necklaces can also be worn on different parts of the body including the wrist, ankle and neck.

The word necklace describes any piece of jewellery that is attached around the neck. Necklaces almost always exclusively don't include a pendant hanging from them. Necklaces are commonly worn without pendants, however, they also offer the flexibility of attaching a pendant to them. Unlike pendants, the term necklaces are reserved for jewellery that only goes around the neck.

Looking for more information about pendants? Check out our pendant guide and blog which covers ways of wearing a pendant. 

Additionally if you are looking for more information about chain necklaces check out our blog posts about the types of chain links and best chains for pendants