Types of silver chains for women and men
In modern jewelry stores you can find a wide variety of silver chains. They can be long and short, thin and quite massive, with or without decorative inserts.
Royal weave
Depending on the characteristics of the weaving, there are women's, men's and universal models that are suitable for absolutely everyone. Everyone can easily choose from this variety a suitable option for themselves or as a gift.
Chain weaving technologies
Chains are made in several ways - by hand, machine knitting or stamping.
Machine weaving is an automated technology using special equipment. The use of machines allows you to create jewelry with links up to 0.2 mm thick.
Despite the latest technologies, some types of weaving can only be done by hand. And here you can’t do without specialists – chain tyers. The minimum weight of a hand-woven chain is about 6 grams, and its quality largely depends on the skill of the jeweler.
This is really painstaking and time-consuming work. First you need to stretch the gold or silver wire, wind it on the prepared base and cut the resulting spiral into rings of the same size. The chain maker manually fastens the links using pliers, “linking” the pattern, which involves the type of weaving. To prevent the rings from falling apart, all the links are soldered. The resulting chain is clamped between special shafts so that the links become flat.
Stamped chains are made from ready-made links - stamps. At the same time, they are not soldered together, but threaded into each other. As a rule, such jewelry is less durable, easily twisted and deformed.
How to choose silver chains?
There are many different criteria for choosing such products. Below are the main ones that it is recommended to pay attention to when purchasing.
Men's and women's
A men's silver chain is a laconic product (usually with voluminous weaving) with a pleasant, soft shine, fully meeting the principle of “noticeable invisibility”.
Representatives of the fair sex, on the contrary, in most cases prefer more spectacular and noticeable jewelry.
By lenght
Silver chains go with almost any outfit and style. When choosing a male option , it is advisable to pay attention to the following nuances:
- products with a length of 40 cm are a suitable option for teenagers and thin men with a neck size of 44-46;
- products with a length of 45 cm - recommended for those who wear clothes size 48-52, have average weight and a standard build;
- products 50 cm long are the best choice for most (universal models).
You can experiment with female models by following these recommendations:
- a short piece of jewelry with a miniature pendant will go well with a dress or oversized sweater with a deep neckline;
- a great option for a little black dress is a long silver chain (from 50 cm);
- voluminous chain with anchor weaving will harmoniously fit into the casual style of a city girl, represented by a men's shirt and boyfriend jeans;
- For lovers of rock-star exuberance, multi-tiered models with various decorative elements (skulls, stars or blackened roses) are suitable.
Advice! If a chain with a pendant is used as decoration, it is recommended to discard the bracelet and replace it with a ring.
By strength
According to this criterion, silver chains are divided as follows:
- Forged ones are considered the most reliable. Such products will withstand a pendant or pendant of any weight. Forged chains are often preferred by men, but sometimes the fair sex also chooses such accessories.
- “ Church ” is also a fairly durable option. They are used primarily for wearing pectoral crosses and icons.
- Hollow ones are almost weightless models. The durability of such products leaves much to be desired.
By weaving
Men's weaving options include the following:
- Armored . An original and unusual option. Men usually prefer the Figaro subspecies.
- Tourniquets . This type of weaving is one of the most durable and practical.
- Bismarck . Popular, effective and reliable weaving. The links of the chain with this weaving consist of multidirectional elements connected within the link into a single whole.
Women's models include products with the following weaving options:
- Perlina . Original and delicate chain. The links of such a product are made up of miniature balls.
- Walnut . Romantic and openwork option. It is a combination of openwork rings, which in turn are fastened together with shiny and smooth rings.
- Malvina . It is a little reminiscent of the previous version, but products with such weaving have less weight due to the fact that ornate silver “eights” are located between the fragments with a “Nut”-like weaving.
Different castles
On heavy male models, reliable locks such as a carabiner are most often used. Thin and light chains are in most cases fastened using round clasps with a spring, but such locks are not considered a particularly reliable option, since they often fail. In addition to these options, sometimes there are also products with a box clasp (also an unreliable option, since it unfastens much more often than we would like). The most unreliable fasteners are considered to be “figure eight” and screw locks.
Flat and voluminous
Depending on the weaving features, silver chains can be flat or voluminous. Flat jewelry of this type will harmoniously fit into an elegant business style, giving the image a discreet sophistication.
Cartier weaving
Chains with voluminous weaving look very impressive and will perfectly complement evening looks.
Volumetric weaving "Bismarck"
Reliability of decoration
When purchasing silver jewelry, you should check all fasteners and clasps. The lock must be of high quality and be on a spring or carabiner. The weaving is strong and reliable. The product should also not have chips or creases. This indicates that the manufacturer did not do his job well. Men usually lead an active lifestyle. For reliability, the weaving consists of several layers of links; they must fit tightly to each other. This is done to ensure that the product lasts as long as possible.
Stone inserts
This season, women's models with decorative inserts have become very popular. Among the colors, orange and blue are especially popular. And, of course, the classic options - white, red and black .
If you want to surprise others with something unusual, you can safely purchase a product with semi-precious stones of any of the indicated colors. Fans of discreet elegance will certainly appreciate chains with pearls.
Story
The history of the appearance of the bracelet is the story of strong men who played not the least role in the most important events of the past. This is an indispensable attribute of priests, warriors and kings, symbolizing power and dignity.
Men's silver bracelets were worn by the Sumerians. Also, these jewelry were in fashion in Ancient Egypt and the Holy Roman Empire. The frescoes depicting the pharaohs show that they also wore bracelets.
The warrior caste has a special relationship with such products. Initially, steel bracers protected the hands from swords and spears of enemies, that is, they were part of the uniform. But the commanders, as wealthier and more influential people, ordered themselves gold and silver men's bracelets, inlaid with stones, covered with glaze or engraving.
In Rus', bracelets were worn by representatives of the nobility - these decorations covered the wrists and did not allow the sleeves to fall off. For princes and boyars they were also often part of their armor. But many wore them simply for beauty.
Classification of men's bracelets
All bracelets, including those made of lunar metal, are structurally divided into several types:
Soft
- Glider - individual elements are connected by hinges or springs.
- Chain - links of any shape and in any sequence are connected to each other using different techniques.
- Wicker - openwork weaving made of wire.
Hard
- Closed - one-piece ring.
- Hinged - two halves are connected by a hinge, one moves relative to the other when put on.
- Spring - have the shape of a broken ring with an adjustable clasp.
The most convenient and common are glider, chain and spring.
Quality
Silver is a fairly weighty metal. Avoid purchasing if the product is massive but light in weight: most likely tin has been added to the alloy. Such a bracelet will quickly fade and lose its attractiveness.
The stones must be firmly fixed, otherwise they will fall out and the bracelet will be unusable.
Girl in a silver bracelet with sapphires
The magic of silver
Since ancient times, lunar metal has been associated with the world of esotericism and secret knowledge. Silver is a powerful amulet against evil forces, and representatives of various cultures have come to this conclusion. Sorcerers, magicians and psychics in the modern world recognize this fact.
Therefore, a men's silver bracelet will not only be a beautiful and expensive trinket on the hand of a beloved man. It will help protect him from the evil gaze of envious people and flows of negative energy. If the jewelry contains agate, it will increase male power.
If we talk about facts verified by traditional science, then silver can disinfect, so it still has some amazing properties.
