Vietnamese Silk Jewelry: What It Is and How to Choose a Silk Bead Necklace

Quick answer: Vietnamese silk jewelry is jewelry where silk, not metal, is the material you see and feel. Folk Form makes it in Hanoi: 44 inch (110 cm) necklaces with every bead wrapped by hand in 100% mulberry silk, no clasp, from $64. Pick plain silk or marble dyed at $64, or a motif print at $75.

Shop it: the silk bead necklaces, 44 inches long, $64 to $75, gift boxed and shipped from Hanoi with import duty paid.

Search for silk jewelry and most results are a metal chain with one silk charm, or a strand of silk thread tied in a knot. A silk bead necklace is a different object: the bead itself is covered in cloth. This guide explains what that means for weight, comfort and care, how the three finishes differ, and how to pick one for yourself or as a gift.

What counts as silk jewelry

Silk jewelry is any piece where the silk is the visible surface. Three kinds are common: silk cord and braid, silk charms on a metal chain, and beads covered in silk. Folk Form makes the third kind. Each bead is wrapped by hand in 100% mulberry silk, so the necklace has the color depth of a silk scarf and almost no weight.

How it compares with a metal necklace

A strand of silk-wrapped beads weighs almost nothing at 44 inches, so it sits lightly on a collarbone and will not pull on knitwear. There is no clasp to fail and no metal to tarnish. The trade-off is that silk is a fabric: keep it dry, put it on after perfume or hairspray, and store it loose rather than under heavy things.

Three finishes, one length

Every necklace is 44 inches (110 cm). Plain silk is one flat color, $64. Marble dyed has two colors moving through each bead so no two necklaces match, $64. Motif print carries the same hand screen-printed heritage patterns as our silk scarves, $75. If you already own a Folk Form scarf, a motif necklace in the same print is the easy pairing; for everything else, plain is the quiet choice.

How to wear it

At 44 inches the necklace has three settings: worn at full length over a knit, doubled for a closer fit, or knotted once at the sternum. For more ways to style it, see how to wear a long silk bead necklace.

Silk jewelry as a gift

A silk necklace arrives gift boxed and ships from Hanoi, Vietnam, with import duty paid, so there is nothing for the recipient to pay on delivery. It suits a gift for someone who does not wear metal, or who already has a scarf and would like something that matches without repeating it. For a set, add a silk scarf or, for a man, a silk necktie.

Silk jewelry questions

What is Vietnamese silk jewelry?

It is jewelry made in Vietnam where silk is the visible material. Folk Form's version is a 44 inch necklace of beads wrapped by hand in 100% mulberry silk, made and shipped from Hanoi.

Does the necklace have a clasp?

No. There is no clasp to fail, and silk will not tarnish or catch on knitwear.

Is silk jewelry durable?

It is lighter and softer than metal, so treat it like a silk scarf: keep it dry, add perfume and hairspray first, and store it loose.

How much is a silk bead necklace?

Plain silk and marble dyed are $64, and motif print is $75.

Which finish should I choose?

Plain is the quiet choice, marble is one of a kind, and motif print matches the hand screen-printed patterns on our scarves.

Browse every guide in our silk scarf and tie guides, or shop the silk bead necklaces.