A paperclip chain is made of elongated rectangular links with rounded ends, set in a row so they look like a line of office paperclips. The links are longer and wider than a standard cable chain, which is why the chain lies flat, tangles far less and reads as modern rather than delicate.
It went mainstream around 2019 and never really left, for practical reasons rather than fashion ones.
What is a paperclip chain?
A chain is defined by the shape of its link, and the paperclip link is a stretched oval with straight sides.
Compare it to the two chains most people already own. A cable chain is made of small round or oval links, each one about as wide as it is long. A box chain is made of square links that sit tightly together. Both are fine and both are small.
A paperclip link is typically two to four times longer than it is wide. Fewer links cover the same distance, so you see more gap and less metal. That is what gives the chain its open, graphic look, and it is also why a paperclip chain at a given width feels lighter than a dense chain of the same length.
The links are usually flat rather than round in cross-section. Flat links sit against your collarbone instead of rolling, which changes how the whole thing sits.
Why do paperclip chains tangle less?
Because the links are too big to pass through each other.
A chain knots when one part of it folds back and a link slips through another link. Fine cable and box chains do this constantly, because their links are small enough to fit through the gap in a neighbouring link. The gap in a paperclip link is large, but the link that would have to pass through it is large too, so the geometry mostly rules it out.
This is not a marketing claim, it is just link size. It is also why a paperclip chain is the easiest necklace to travel with, which we went through in how to pack jewellery for travel.
Is a paperclip chain strong?
It depends on the link, not the shape.
Every chain link has a soldered join. On a paperclip chain those joins sit on the long straight sides, which is the part that takes the pull. A well-made chain has each link fully soldered and is solid metal the whole way through. A cheap one has hollow links or unsoldered joins, and those pull open.
Two things to check before you buy:
- Solid or hollow. Hollow links keep the look and the weight down and give up most of the strength. If a chain seems surprisingly light for its size, that is usually why.
- Link width. Very thin paperclip links look delicate and bend. Something with real width across the link holds its shape under a pendant.
The metal matters as much as the build. Gold vermeil over sterling silver is solid metal throughout with a real gold layer on top, which is a different proposition to plating over brass. We pulled the two apart in gold vermeil vs gold plated.
What length paperclip chain should you buy?
For most people, 38cm to 42cm.
That range sits on or just below the collarbone, which suits most necklines and most pendants. The rest:
- 35cm to 37cm. Choker. Sits high on the neck.
- 38cm to 42cm. Collarbone. The default, and the easiest to layer with.
- 45cm to 50cm. Sits below the collarbone, around the top of the chest. Good over knitwear.
- 55cm and longer. Sits at or below the bust. Reads as deliberate rather than everyday.
Link size changes how a length reads. A chunky paperclip chain at 42cm feels more substantial than a fine cable chain at the same measurement. If you are between lengths, an adjustable chain solves it. More on the whole question in what necklace length should you choose.
How do you wear a paperclip chain?
Three ways, in order of how often people actually do it.
- On its own. The chain is the piece. This is the whole point of the shape, and it is why a plain paperclip chain works with a plain white shirt in a way a plain cable chain does not.
- With a pendant. The open links suit a bigger pendant. A small delicate charm can look lost on a chunky paperclip chain.
- Layered. Pair it with a finer chain at a different length. Two chains of similar weight at similar lengths compete with each other and tangle together.
The layering rule that matters most is contrast. Different link shapes, different lengths, at least 5cm apart. How to layer necklaces has the full version.
One practical advantage worth knowing: the open links take a charm or a lobster clasp directly, anywhere along the chain. You do not need a separate bail or connector. That is why paperclip chains became the default for charm necklaces.
Are paperclip chains still in style?
Yes, and the shape has outlived the trend cycle that introduced it.
Chain shapes tend to run hot for two or three years and then date badly. The paperclip has not, for a reason that has nothing to do with fashion. It is a genuinely useful chain. It does not tangle, it lies flat, it holds a pendant well and it looks like something rather than nothing.
How do you clean a paperclip chain?
Warm water, a drop of plain dish soap, a soft toothbrush, then rinse and dry completely.
The flat links are easier to clean than a fine chain, because you can reach the whole surface. Pay attention to the inside edges of each link, which is where skin oil and product collect.
Skip ultrasonic cleaners and anything labelled a jewellery dip if the piece is vermeil or has stones set in it. Both are harder on a gold layer and on stone settings than the label suggests. Our general routine is in how to care for your jewellery.
What we make
Every Good Goods necklace sits on an 18-carat gold vermeil paperclip chain, and it was a deliberate choice rather than a trend one. Our pendants are large and colourful, and a fine chain would not carry them.
The Icon Blush Enamel Pendant Necklace hangs a hand-set 10mm by 15mm rose quartz in blush enamel from an adjustable 38 to 42cm paperclip chain, $599. The adjustable range is there so you can wear it at the collarbone alone or drop it to layer.
If you want the chain doing more work, The Icon Statement Necklace runs eleven hand-set citrine and rose quartz stones along a 41cm paperclip chain, $1,599. It sits right at the collarbone, which is where a piece that busy needs to sit.
Both are 18-carat gold vermeil over sterling silver, hand-painted enamel, made in a run of twenty and never repeated.
Frequently asked questions
What is a paperclip chain?
A paperclip chain is made of elongated rectangular links with rounded ends, arranged in a row so they resemble a line of office paperclips. The links are typically two to four times longer than they are wide, which gives the chain an open, flat, graphic look compared with a cable or box chain.
Why is it called a paperclip chain?
Because each link is shaped like a standard office paperclip: a long rectangle with rounded ends. The name describes the link shape and nothing else. It says nothing about the metal, the quality or the price.
Do paperclip chains tangle?
Far less than fine chains. A chain knots when one link slips through another, and paperclip links are too large for that to happen easily. They are not tangle-proof, but they are the most forgiving chain shape to travel with or store loose.
Are paperclip chains strong?
A solid paperclip chain with fully soldered links is strong and holds a heavy pendant well. A hollow-link chain is not, and will pull open at the joins. Check whether the links are solid and whether the chain feels appropriately weighty for its size.
What length paperclip chain is best?
38cm to 42cm suits most people and most necklines, sitting on or just below the collarbone. Go shorter for a choker effect, 45cm to 50cm to wear over knitwear, and 55cm or longer for a deliberate statement length.
Are paperclip chains still in fashion?
Yes. The shape arrived as a trend around 2019 and became a staple, because it is practical rather than decorative: it lies flat, resists tangling and carries a pendant well. The oversized chunky versions from 2021 date faster than a moderate link width.
A chain that earns its place
Most chains are a way to hang something else. The paperclip is one of the few that works as the thing itself, and still does the job when you add a pendant.
That is the whole appeal. Nothing to do with paperclips.
Wear the joy.