Tips on Customizing & Creating the Perfect Gold Chain & Pendant Set
If you’re looking for a new dope gold chain, but you’re not sure where to start, let the hip hop jewelry experts at Gold Urban guide you in the right different. Maybe you’re looking for a unique new piece to add to your already extensive collection, or maybe you’re just beginning to dive into the world of urban street fashion. Either way, there are some tricks to finding and ordering the perfect gold chain and pendant that speak to your style and will have all the shorties on your street turning their heads when you walk past. Check out some of our tips on customizing your dopest neck piece.
Selecting Your Metal Tone
When selecting your dope new gold chain, you need to consider which type of gold you prefer. Typically, you’ll find gold chains offered in white and traditional yellow gold, but some places will also offer platinum chains and rose gold looks. Picking out the right tone of metal is entirely based on your own personal preference, but you should keep in mind what other types of metal you have in your jewelry collection and how each shade will look with your wardrobe.
If you already own a lot of necklaces, bracelets, and rings in one shade of metal, you may want to invest in another color to add some variety to your selection. Traditional yellow gold is always a popular option because it signifies wealth, status, and a high level of achievement or success. White gold originally starts out as the standard yellow gold, but the color is bleached and altered by the addition of very specific metal alloys, including silver and nickel, to give it a white appearance similar to pure silver or even platinum. Rose gold is created using this same method as well, except the metal alloys are swapped out for different metals, such as copper, that can help give the metal its rosy color.
Platinum is another metal option that is often offered on hip hop jewelry sites. Although we tend to think of gold as being the most expensive, and perhaps the fanciest, of all the metals, platinum is actually more valuable and comes at a higher price. In fact, platinum is much more rare than gold and is mined at a lower rate, making it even more desirable.
According to the Huffington Post, roughly 1,500 tons of gold are mined each year, while only 160 tons of platinum are mined. If you’re looking for a metal that resembles white gold or silver but with a much higher price tag, a platinum gold chain is exactly what you’re looking for.
Consider Which Type of Chain Style Suits You
There are dozens of different gold chain styles that exist in today’s market as more rappers, athletes, and actors don the gold chain look, but not every style is for every baller. As with selecting your metal tone, consider what you already own first.
If you have a lot of the same chain style, that’s great because it clearly means that this look is working for you, but it may become played-out or boring if you’re only rocking the same chains over and over. Some people may not even notice that you’re swapping out your chains if you’re only rocking one style across multiple chains.
Take your chances on a new chain link style and listen as the compliments start rolling in. Since you’re looking for a gold chain that you’re going to pair with a pendant, you’ll also need to consider how large and heavy the pendant will be to make sure that the chain is proportionate and able to carry the weight of the pendant. Keep reading to learn more specifics on the most popular styles of men’s gold chains.
To Ice or Not to Ice?
When browsing the selection of men’s gold chains that is available online now, you’ll notice tons of options on how to make your chain unique, from unusual designs and styles to adding gemstones and other bling. While traditional gold chains without any additional bling are super dope and still flashy in all the right ways, at times you need that extra somethin’ somethin’ to set your style apart from everybody else's.
Opting for an iced-out gold chain will definitely make you the center of attention between the extra shine that encrusted diamonds will add and the insinuated price tag of a gold chain covered in expensive diamonds. If you’re looking for a piece of hip hop jewelry that’s going to have you looking as phat as your bank account, opting for an iced-out chain is the right move for you.
Picking the Right Pendant
Shopping around for the gold chains to match with the perfect pendant can be tricky because you want to make sure that both elements are proportional to each other. It’s best to first pick out which type of pendant you’re looking for and then select a gold chain that will match and be sturdy enough to support your chosen pendant.
The best part about rocking a gold chain and pendant combo is that the options are endless, no matter what your interests are. Religious images are some of the most popular types of pendants to invest in, from the classic Jesus pendant first popularized by the Notorious B.I.G. to a variety of different-style crosses and praying hands.
More modern variations of the gold chain pendants have been popping up as well. Here at Gold Urban, some of our favorite fun pendants are the emoji styles available in the sunglass face, crying/laughing, winking, tongue sticking out, praying hands, and even everybody’s favorite, the poop emoji. These pendants are a bit silly and show more of your fun side when rocking your hip hop jewelry. Some of our emoji pendants are just made from gold while others also include a few diamonds for a partially iced-out look.
Determine the Right Thickness and Length
Once you’ve narrowed down your options on the pendant and selected one that really expresses your personality, it’s important to look for the right gold chain to complement it. If you’re searching on the Gold Urban site, you can opt to look through pendant and chain combos that have already been selected together and offered at a package price. But, if you’re looking to customize your necklace and select your own chain, you should be sure to consider the dimensions and the weight of your pendant.
If you select a gold chain style that is too thin, it may not be able to hold the pendant. It may also take away from the overall effect of the piece. A thicker chain offers more support and draws attention to the entire necklace, not just the pendant. Think about the length of the chain as well. This element is really more of a personal preference, but the length of your chain is going to directly determine whether the pendant will fall closer to your neck or your stomach.
Customizing Your Pendant
Sometimes, if you have a very specific image or design in mind for your pendant, you may not be totally satisfied browsing the preselected options on any hip hop jewelry site. Luckily, there are plenty of ways to customize your gold chains, from getting a nameplate to creating your own design. Of course, ordering a customized pendant and chain is more expensive, but it’s worth the extra Benjamins if you’re looking for a way to help your dope style stand out from the rest.
Popular Gold Chain Styles
Although the Cuban link style has a few different variations, the Miami Cuban link chain is probably the most popular and common style seen in the urban street apparel scene. These types of gold chains are made up of thick, intertwining rings that are oval-like in shape. Many people prefer to rock the Miami Cuban link look solo—meaning without the addition of a pendant—but you can easily stand out from the crowd by adding your favorite pendant to the necklace.
Because these links tend to be thicker and stronger than other gold chain styles, you can definitely whip out your largest and flashiest pendants to add some ice around your neck.
Often associated with Run DMC, gold rope chains give off a more old-school hip hop style vibe. Two bundles of small links connected in a strand are twisted around each other, giving the rope chain—you guessed it—a rope-like or braid-like appearance. The bigger the rope chain, the easier it will be to add a pendant because the chain will offer more support.
However, some of the thickest rope chains may look better on their own, as a proportional pendant may look so flashy that people question whether or not it’s even real. Also, you may have a problem finding a proportional pendant in the first place.
The Franco chain is one of the best options for an everyday look because it's simple, subtle, and easy to wear solo or with a pendant. The Franco chain is made up of many small links that are interwoven together to create a seamless look, making the necklace appear as one fluid strand from a distance.
Many people use the Franco chain if they’re rocking a layered look because it can break up your thicker more noticable chains, and it looks great in longer lengths because of the thinness of the chain. However, you need to be careful with the types of pendants that you use with these chains, depending on how thin it is, to ensure that you don’t lose your pendant in the middle of the club.
Another favorite gold chain style, the tennis chain is a classy yet simple look. This chain is thin and made up of diamond-encrusted square links. The tennis chain’s thinness makes it subtle, while the bling makes it flashy, grabbing people’s attention as you pass by. The tennis chain looks dope when layered with a thicker Miami Cuban link or when matched with a tennis bracelet, also iced-out of course. Add an iced-out cross to the chain, and you’ll be one of the flyest dudes on the block.
The dog tag is an underrated style. It’s much more simple than many of the other gold chain styles for men, but it still has some flair to it that will get people to notice you and your style. We prefer to rock the dog tag during the day when you want a more casual look. This style isn’t one that’s going to have you flossing on the other dudes in the club, but it will complement your style and add a little extra something to your professional or chillin’-at-home outfits. Although you could customize this chain however you’d like, it’s traditional to wear an engraved dog tag pendant with this style to keep the whole look comprehensive.
Gold Urban Has the Perfect Selection for Your Dope Style
Shop Gold Urban’s extensive collection of hip hop jewelry to find some of the most exclusive designs and styles. No matter what kind of baller you are, you’ll find a piece you love, from gold chains and pendant combos to iced-out custom chains.
We’re known for our top-quality materials, attentive customer service, and unique selection of jewelry. And, to ensure that each and every one of our customers is satisfied with their purchase, we even offer a lifetime guarantee on our products, so, if your gold chain is damaged or features a defect, you will receive a one-time replacement completely free of charge.
To bring your urban street style to the next level, we’ve got other essential accessories like rings, bracelets, and the dopest grillz on the streets. So, what are you waiting for? Get your bling on today!