Golden chains were an actual decoration even in the times of ancient civilizations. Then they were made exclusively by hand, and each master had his own individual and unique style. Making was a long and painstaking task, so only wealthy people from the upper classes could afford such jewelry. In our time, gold chains have long ceased to be something exclusive and unattainable, and it is possible to see such a jewelry even on a child, especially since such products are often created not by the hands of master jewelers, but by machines.
Gold chains come in a wide variety of weaving and can serve as an independent decoration, as well as the basis for wearing pendants, body crosses and all kinds of pendants. In the variety of weaving chains, male and female varieties of chains are often distinguished, however, there are also many chains that are suitable for both sexes.
Gold Chain Technology
Modern production of jewelry chains is far from always associated with manual labor. Chains are made by several basic methods:
- hand knitting;
- machine knitting;
- stamping;
- casting.
Machine weaving chains are produced on specialized equipment that allows you to create jewelry of minimum weight, with links 0.2 mm thick, and sometimes less.
At the same time, many popular weaving are not available for manufacture by machine method, and they are still, as in ancient times, made entirely by hand. The production of hand-knitted chains is quite difficult work, because first you need to melt the metal, then pull the wire of the required thickness from it, and only after that go directly to creating the jewelry. The minimum weight of a manually woven chain is 5-6 grams, and this affects the cost of the product, however, the strength of such a chain is much higher than that of its machine counterpart.
The stamped chains of the master are assembled from ready-made links - stamps created by a special machine. Often such links do not even solder, but only thread into each other, which affects the strength and durability of the finished product. Such chains are usually the most affordable, but can be twisted and frayed, rendering the product unusable.
Cast chains are produced by casting in the form of special links. As a rule, such chains are characterized by high weight, but at the same time high reliability. After casting, each link is processed manually by the master. Then they are assembled into a finished product. Without a doubt, the most popular casting chains are the products of the Baraka and Cartier jewelry houses.
Solid and hollow chains
All chains, regardless of the type of weaving, can be either solid or hollow. The main difference between them is the weight of the finished product.
A hollow chain, even with external bulkiness and massiveness, can have a minimum weight, but be strong enough. To make this type of chain, a core of base metal is placed inside a flat billet, after which the billet is bent into a circle and the seam is closed. After removal of the core, a hollow wire is obtained. From it they create the future chain. Such chains have a significant drawback: in the event of a link breakdown, it is impossible to repair it in most cases, therefore such chains require careful wear.
Solid chains always weigh more than hollow products. Even if it seems visually more subtle, and this fact affects the cost, however, it is rather difficult to damage such a chain, moreover, even if the chain is broken, the master can quickly restore it by replacing one or several links.
Varieties of weaving gold chains
Modern jewelry production includes more than 150 varieties of weaving jewelry chains, however, all of them are made on the basis of three basic weaving techniques:
Photos of weaving chains are presented in the article. Chains of the same type can be found under different names. Anchor weaving chains are created by analogy with chain weaving for a ship's anchor. Such weaving is simple and uncomplicated, but variations on the theme of the anchor chain help to make it more interesting and unusual.
In the traditional design, the links of the anchor chain consist of one row of rings, however, it is possible to manufacture a chain of two or even three rings in each link. The classic anchor chain is assembled from oval links, but you can also make it from perfectly round rings, resulting in a chain of weaving "Rollo". The jewelry house “Shopard” brought popularity to this type of weaving, and a chain assembled from ringlets is often called the name of this brand.
Among the varieties of anchor chains include the weaving "Garibaldi", named after the heroic spouses of the Italian liberation movement. The chain of this kind consists of round rings, like weaving "Rollo". However, it differs from it by their bifurcation.
On the basis of the shell-type weaving, many different decorative variations were created. The essence of this weaving of chains of gold in the fastening together of flat links in a single plane. This technology of manual knitting of chains is the most durable, and the links combined into a chain resemble chain mail, so you can often find the second name of such chains - chain.
Depending on the number of attached rings, the chains of armor-plaited weaving can be double, triple, and so on. If the carapace is assembled from rhomboid links, it is called the “Rhombus", which can also be double and triple.
The most elegant and sophisticated chain of armored weaving is "Nonna", the name of which came from the abbreviation of the Italian expression "grandmother's weaving" (maglia della nonna). Such chains shine in the light due to the diamond face applied on both sides of the links and are very strong, despite the external fragility.
The weaving “Figaro”, so named after the hero of a comedy with a variable character, is also popular among the shell chains, because in this chain long and short links alternate in a certain order (1 to 1, 1 to 2, 1 to 3, 1 to 4). The popularity of such chains was brought by the Cartier jewelry house, and often the Figaro chain is called the name of this brand.
The names of some weaves come from the form of the links used. For example, in the Love chain, the rings are like hearts. Weaving chains “Snail” or “Paperclip” are assembled from spiral links, and chains with flower-like sections are called “Rose”.
In the assortment of chains, weaving “Snake” also occupies a special place, which means snake. It is a smooth cord with densely spaced links resembling snake scales. Such weaving is often chosen not only for chains, but also for bracelets, the most popular of which is the Pandora bracelet.
Bismarck chain weaving, named after Otto von Bismarck, Chancellor of the German Empire, is often found under the names Kaiser, Cardinal and others. The unusual type of knitting in most cases is done manually and is one of the most difficult, since the ring links in this chain have different directions. Variations of weaving "Bismarck" can be double, triple and even quadruple, and the weaving itself is incredibly strong and reliable. One of the varieties of chains with weaving "Bismarck" is the chain "Python" - thick and voluminous.
Separately, one can also single out chains of fantasy weaving, describing all the varieties of which is simply impossible, since they can differ not only in the type of weaving, but also in the combination of metal in different shades, the inclusion of decorative elements, stones. Such chains are rarely used to wear pendants and often they resemble beads or necklaces, being self-sufficient jewelry.
Weaving female chains
Choosing a chain for a woman by the type of weaving does not always make sense, since it largely depends on the taste of the girl. At the same time, on the basis of the popularity of certain varieties of chains among women, it can be said that such weaves as Nonna, Love, and Rose are truly female.
However, often girls opt for more laconic weaving chains that are ideally combined with any pendants, one of which is anchor, especially in the performance of Rollo. Among the chains with weaving "Bismarck", considered male, the option "Moscow Bismarck" is more suitable for girls.
A variety of spiral and twisted jewelry, for example, the weaving chain “Rope”, “Trickle”, and “Spikelet”, also look good on refined female necks.
Men's chains
Strong men deserve worthy chains, as a rule, of classical forms and the highest durability. There are not so many native weaving.
Carapace chains in most of their variations belong to the category of jewelry for men, as they are the most durable and practical, especially in the double version. In the same category is the Figaro chain.
Bismarck chains are also popular among the stronger sex and look most advantageous on men.
The incredibly dense and thick chain of “Venetian” weaving belongs to the category of male chains, as it has a fairly large weight and volume, it can look rude on a girl.
Many options for chains exist for men among injection chains - “Baraka”, “Cartier”, “Coffee bean”.
How to choose the chain length?
The selection of the chain is carried out not only on the basis of its weight and type of weaving, but also in length. The assortment in jewelry stores is represented by models of 40-70 cm, depending on which zone the product will be worn in.
With a length of 40 cm, the chain will be located at the very neck of an adult. A half-meter chain will reach the upper part of the neckline, a chain of 60 cm will drop to its middle, and 70 centimeters and longer will reach the lower zone of the neckline and descend to the hollow between the breasts.
It is also worth considering that the averaged parameters of the length of the chains are assumed, and in many respects the right choice will depend on the dimensions of the person who is going to wear it. As a rule, large men may need a chain of about 70 cm, and with this length it will lie on the neck.
Long chains with small pendants are at the peak of popularity among girls. They add sexuality and mystery to them, going down to the very chest. Often the store assortment does not cover the customer's needs in choosing the length of the chains and it makes sense to order such products from a jeweler.
In order not to make a mistake with the choice of the chain length, you should definitely try it on or at least make measurements using a thread, placing it on your neck like a chain and measuring the resulting length.
Locks for precious metal chains
In the choice of chain, in addition to the type of weaving and length, no less importance is given to the lock installed on it.
The most common types of chain locks are a carabiner and a spring lock. Both of these fasteners are reliable enough, but ultimately the type of lock and its size are selected by the master based on the type of weaving and the final weight of the product. One of the strong advantages of such locks is the ability to thread any pendants and pendants through the end.
When checking a lock on a chain, you should pay attention to its quality and ease of opening and closing, since it depends on whether you can put on and remove the chain yourself, as well as the safety of the chain during wear.
Separately, you can highlight a special chain lock - schnapper, which is also often used on bracelets and even on watches. Such locks are often mounted on thick and massive male chains to ensure a secure fit that the carabiner cannot handle.
The combination of chains with other jewelry
Quite often, women and men wear the chain without removing it, especially in combination with a pectoral cross. That is why the chain is not accepted as decoration, and in vain, because it requires special rules for combination with other jewelry.
If a cross or a pendant is planned to be worn on a chain, they should be combined not only in the color of the metal, but also in size and also in weight (to be half lighter than the chain). Small pendants will not go through massive chains and get lost on their background, and large pendants on thin chains can lead to the rupture of the latter. Separately, it is worth checking that the chain lock passes through the pendant / pendant ear.
Often the wearing of chains is combined with bracelets, and in the ideal embodiment, the weaving of both jewelry should match, however, a combination of such products exclusively in thickness and color of the metal is allowed. Color matching applies to all jewelry, including earrings and rings.
Secrets to caring for gold chains at home
Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever in our world, including jewelry that can be scratched, become dirty due to external influences, and fastenings, locks and frames weaken. The chains are most susceptible to wear, as they are often worn without taking off. To extend their service life will have to make a little effort.
Plaque and dirt on the chain are very common and over time become the reason for the loss of the decoration of its former luster and aesthetic properties. To cope with such a problem will help cleaning, which can be done manually or mechanically.
For manual cleaning, the chain does not need to be carried to the master, knowing certain nuances, you can carry out the process yourself. For cleaning, the chain is placed in a warm soapy solution, which must be prepared from a dishwashing detergent that dissolves body fat. For some time, the decoration is left to soak in such a solution, after which it is thoroughly rubbed with fingers and washed with running water. It is better to dry the product with paper towels or a microfiber cloth, after which you can lightly polish it with suede or velvet.
To avoid the appearance of stains on the chain, polishing is carried out by translational, rather than circular movements. There is the possibility of acquiring special jewelry cosmetics, which are often offered at points of sale of jewelry. Such funds will achieve a professional result at home.
If there is no time and desire to engage in independent cleaning of the jewelry, you can take it to a jeweler. In a workshop, jewelry is cleaned using special devices - ultrasonic baths, steam cleaners, and ionizers. If there are multiple scratches on the chain, the master will also be able to professionally polish and give the jewelry its original look.
Gold chains are the most universal and popular jewelry, and their range allows you to choose a product for every taste and affluence. With proper care and careful handling, the chain will last for many years and can even be inherited by future generations.