Choose the link by how you wear it, then read the grams before the width. A Miami Cuban is worn on its own, and most of this case is Cuban. A Franco or a rope carries a pendant. Buy solid links if it goes on every day. Take 14K, and 22 inches if you are not sure. Two chains of the same width can weigh very differently, so the grams tell you the gold.
Links: Miami Cuban, curb, rope, Franco and box chains for men
Take a Miami Cuban when the chain is the piece. It is the flat interlocking link men ask for by name, and about two in three chains in this case are Cubans. The curb is its flatter, lighter cousin and lies quiet under a shirt. For a pendant, take a Franco, square and strong for its weight. A rope twists to catch light from every side and hides wear, and a thin rope is the gold chain men bought most here. Box, wheat and cable are the fine pendant chains. Figaro chains, Byzantine chains and diamond chains for men each have a page of their own.
Weight: how many grams a men's gold chain weighs, thick or thin
Read the grams, not the width, because the weight is the gold in the chain. Weight climbs faster than width. Double the width of a Cuban with solid links, from 5 mm to 10, and the gold goes up more than four times. Nearly every listing prints its gram weight, and it is the whole chain with the clasp. Where a listing shows none, ask the desk before you buy.
Length: an 18, 20, 22 or 24 inch gold chain on a man
Take 22 inches if you are not sure. On this page it was the length men bought most, and 20 ran a close second. Eighteen sits at the collarbone. Twenty falls just below it. Twenty-two lands at mid chest. Twenty-four shows over a crew neck. A wide link needs room to lie flat, so a heavy Cuban wants 24 inches or more. The length finder on this page draws your link, width and length on a chest. A jeweler quotes any change of length, and a chain cut or extended to your length is final sale.
Karat: a 10K, 14K or 18K gold chain, and how to know it is real
Take 14K for a chain worn every day. It is 58.3 percent gold, the yellow most men picture. More than half the chains here are 14K gold chains. 10K holds less gold, reads a touch paler and is the hardest of the three. 18K is 75 percent gold, the richest color and the softest metal, and most of it here is heavy Miami Cuban. For 18K, see the 18K gold chains; for white gold, the white gold chains. A karat stamp reads 585 for 14K, 417 for 10K and 750 for 18K. Every listing names its karat, and no title here says plated, filled, vermeil or bonded.
Questions we get in the store
What length gold chain should a man get?
Twenty-two inches, the length men bought most on this page. Twenty runs a close second. Eighteen hugs the collarbone, and twenty sits just below it. A wide Cuban wants 24 or longer. Stuck between two, go longer.
How much should a men's gold chain cost?
By its gold: the gram weight, the karat's share of pure gold and the day's gold price, plus the work of making the link. Each listing prints its own price, and the desk quotes the number on the day: open the live chat, or call or text 212-872-9692, where a person answers from 10 AM ET.
How wide should a men's gold chain be?
Three to 5 mm for a chain worn on its own, and under 3 mm beneath a pendant. Six to 8 mm makes a statement. Past 10 mm the chain is the whole look. Width and weight climb together, so check the grams too.
More questions we get
10K, 14K or 18K gold chain?
14K for daily wear, hard enough for every day and the yellow most men picture. 10K carries less gold and is paler and harder. 18K is the deepest yellow and the softest. Gold itself does not tarnish.
Will my pendant fit the chain?
It fits if the pendant's bail clears the chain and its clasp. Send us both item numbers in the live chat, or phone or text 212-872-9692, and a jeweler checks the fit before you order; a person answers from 10 AM ET. Hang a heavy pendant on solid links.
How do I clean a gold chain?
Warm water, a few drops of dish soap and a soft toothbrush, then rinse and dry it. Take it off for the pool and the gym, since chlorine and sweat dull the alloy. Hang it or lay it flat so it does not kink.
Can I trade in my old chain?
Yes. A jeweler prices your chain in trade toward the next one, on its gold: the grams and the karat. To start a trade, open the live chat, or send the desk its grams and karat at 212-872-9692, staffed from 10 AM ET.
How fast does it ship, and can I return it?
In-stock chains usually ship within 2 to 5 business days. A chain returns within fourteen calendar days of confirmed delivery, new, unworn and unaltered, on a label TraxNYC issues once we authorize the return. The refund policy keeps the 5% restocking fee and the return shipping. A chain cut, extended or made specifically for you is final sale; ask the desk which yours is.