How to Wear a Long Silk Bead Necklace: Single, Double, Knotted
Angel LeQuick answer: A long silk bead necklace of 44 inches (110 cm) has no clasp, so it goes on over your head. Wear it as one long strand that falls well below the bust, twist it once and loop it back over your head for a doubled look near the collarbone, or tie a loose overhand knot at the bust line. Keep it out of water: never soak it.
Lift the necklace off the table and it pours from your hand in a soft coil, every bead covered in matte silk with no metal anywhere to catch the light. Slip it over your head, look in the mirror, and the decision is simply how long you want it to fall today.
What is a silk wrapped bead necklace?
A silk wrapped bead necklace is a strand of round beads, each one covered in silk fabric, strung into a continuous loop. The silk gives every bead a soft, low sheen and a color with the depth of dyed cloth. Because the strand is one closed loop, there is no clasp to fumble with at the back of your neck.
Ours measure 44 inches (110 cm) around, with no clasp, no metal and no stone: about 180 wooden beads, each wrapped by hand in mulberry silk in our Hanoi atelier. The plain colors are $64 and the printed versions are $75; the printing on the silk is the difference. On the printed strands, the silk is the same hand screen-printed cloth our scarves are cut from. On the printed strands, a run of solid beads is broken by beads that carry fragments of a printed pattern, so the color shifts as the strand moves.
Why no clasp matters
A clasp is the part of a necklace that breaks, tarnishes or pinches the hair at the nape. A clasp-free loop of 44 inches slips over the head in one movement, even with a blowout or an updo, and it is long enough to fold into every style below. With no metal anywhere on the strand, there is no hardware to snag a fine knit or a silk blouse.
| Detail | Plain silk | Printed silk |
|---|---|---|
| Length | 44 in (110 cm) loop | 44 in (110 cm) loop |
| Closure | None: goes over the head | None: goes over the head |
| Metal | None | None |
| Look | One solid color, quiet | Solid beads with printed accent beads |
| Price | $64 | $75 |
| Care | Never soak in water | Never soak in water |
Where does a 44 inch necklace fall?
Jewelers commonly group necklace lengths into chokers (about 14 to 16 inches), princess (about 17 to 19), matinee (about 20 to 24), opera (about 28 to 36) and rope (about 37 inches and longer). At 44 inches, a single strand is rope length: it hangs well below the bust and toward the waist, and exactly where it lands depends on your height and build. Doubled, each loop works out to roughly 22 inches, which is matinee territory, near the collarbone or the top of the bust.
How to wear a long silk bead necklace: five ways
1. Long and single
Put the loop over your head and let it hang straight. This is the easiest way and the one that draws the eye down, which suits a fine knit, a column dress, or a shirt buttoned to the top. Settle the strand so it runs smoothly from the back of the neck and hangs evenly on both sides.
2. Doubled
- Put the necklace on as a single long strand.
- Hold the front of the loop at the bust and twist it half a turn so it forms a figure eight.
- Lift the lower loop and bring it back over your head.
- Slide the twist toward one side or the other to make the two loops even, or leave one shorter so it sits near the neck while the other falls lower.
The doubled look is the one to reach for with a crew neck or a boat neck, since the shorter loop fills the space at the base of the throat. The photo at the top of this page shows the uneven version: a close loop and a long one.
3. Knotted
Wear the strand long, then tie a loose overhand knot in the front, anywhere between the bust and the waist. Form a small loop with the hanging strand, pass the bottom of the necklace through it, and ease the knot snug with a light hand. A knot set low reads relaxed; a knot set near the bust reads more finished. Set it slightly off center for a softer line.
4. Worn with a silk scarf
A silk scarf tied in the hair or at the neck pairs naturally with a silk bead strand, because the two share a surface. Pick one color from the scarf and match the beads to it, as in the pink pairing above, then keep the scarf knot small so the necklace has room. Our guide to how to wear a silk scarf covers the basic folds, and the step-by-step guide to tying a silk scarf around your neck shows the small knots that sit well under a doubled strand.
5. Down the back
For a dress with a low back, wear the necklace single and turn it so the long part falls between the shoulder blades. A plain color works well here, since the line of beads does the talking. This is a good wedding guest option when the front of the dress already has detail.
| Style | Where it falls | How | Pairs with |
|---|---|---|---|
| Long single | Below the bust, toward the waist | Over the head, let it hang | Fine knits, column dresses, buttoned shirts |
| Doubled | Near the collarbone and top of the bust | Twist into a figure eight, loop back over | Crew necks, boat necks, plain tees |
| Knotted | Knot at the bust or lower | Loose overhand knot in front | Open collars, loose blouses |
| With a scarf | Long or doubled | Match one color to the scarf | Hair scarves, small neck knots |
| Down the back | Between the shoulder blades | Wear single, turn it around | Low-back dresses |
How to choose a color
Start with what you wear most. A plain strand in one color, such as the cobalt blue plain silk necklace, works like a solid accent and goes with patterned clothes without competing. A printed strand adds movement and suits plain clothes, a navy dress or a white shirt, where its accent beads have space.
Deep shades like navy, purple and dark green sit easily with black, gray and camel. Lighter shades like yellow and pastel pink read brighter against white and denim. If the necklace is a gift and you are unsure of her taste, picture what she wears most on a weekday. Red sits with black, white, navy and denim alike, which makes it the easy pick; a deep shade with printed accents is the next safest, since it already contains several colors she is likely to own. For a mother and sisters, or a group of friends, the same necklace in a different color for each means nobody wonders who got the better present. Our silk scarf gift guide has more on choosing color for someone else.
Silk scarf necklace or bead necklace?
A silk scarf can be worn as a necklace too: roll a long, narrow scarf into a cord and knot it at the side of the neck, or loop a twilly twice and tie the ends in a small square knot. The bead strand gives you the same silk color with a cleaner line and no knot to retie through the day. If you like both, our guide on how to wear a silk twilly shows the neck knots, and a twilly from the silk twilly collection in a matching color makes a two-piece gift that reads as one thought. Every order arrives in a gift box with no price inside.
Care: keep it out of water
Never soak a silk wrapped bead necklace, and keep the strand away from the sink, the bath and the rain. Put on perfume and lotion before the necklace, let them settle, and take the necklace off before you change clothes so it does not catch. Store it coiled loosely in its box or laid flat in a drawer, away from sun, since long exposure to light yellows and weakens silk. For the scarves you wear with it, the care rules are different; see how to store a silk scarf.
Frequently asked questions
Does a silk bead necklace have a clasp?
Ours do not. Each necklace is one closed loop of 44 inches (110 cm) with no clasp and no metal, so you put it on over your head.
How long is a long silk bead necklace?
Our silk wrapped bead necklaces measure 44 inches (110 cm). Worn single it falls well below the bust; doubled, each loop is roughly 22 inches and sits near the collarbone or the top of the bust.
How do you double a long necklace with no clasp?
Put it on long, twist the front half a turn into a figure eight, and lift the lower loop back over your head. Slide the twist to make the loops even or uneven.
Which knot works for a long bead necklace?
A loose overhand knot tied in front, anywhere from the bust to the waist. Ease it snug with a light hand.
Can you get a silk wrapped bead necklace wet?
Keep it out of water and never soak it. Take it off before washing your hands, bathing or swimming.
What is the difference between the plain and printed necklaces?
The plain necklaces are one solid color at $64. The printed necklaces mix solid beads with printed accent beads and cost $75; the printing is the difference.
Can I wear a silk bead necklace with a silk scarf?
Yes. Match one color from the scarf to the beads and keep the scarf knot small, for example a scarf tied in the hair with the necklace worn doubled.
Browse every guide in our silk scarf and tie guides.
