The Art of Building the Perfect Custom Necklace

Whether you’re creating a custom pendant charm necklace for yourself or a loved one, you’ll want to ensure that it reflects the personality of the wearer. With the dozens of pendant charms and a wide variety of colors and finishes that we offer, you’re sure to nail the right style vibe. Just follow these design tips from Beth Macri insiders and you’ll be on your way to building a spectacular necklace in no time.

Start With a Heart

There’s a reason why the HEART Pendant Necklace is our best-selling Hidden Message Necklace; it looks beautiful on its own and it’s a classic symbol that makes the perfect starting point for a multi-pendant necklace. Try placing one in the middle of your chain and seeing what else feels like it belongs around it (your initials? someone else’s?). The heart symbol is also ideal if you’re creating a gift for someone else. No matter who the jewelry is for, the beauty of starting with the HEART Pendant is that the wearer can add more meaningful Letters, Numbers, and Symbols over time.

Consider What’s Important to You

Spend a few minutes reflecting on what matters most to you and what you’d like to be reminded of whenever you put on your gorgeous charm necklace. Maybe it’s the date of your wedding anniversary, your kids’ birthstones, or the initials of your significant other (two initials flanking a HEART or AMPERSAND are a popular way to demonstrate your devotion). Other possible ideas: a favorite word or mantra (such as “TRUST,” “HOPE,” or “THRIVE”), the name of a loved one, or an inspiring acronym, such as “GBOGH” (for “Go Big Or Go Home”).

You can also follow our jewelry experts’ personalization guide: start with your initial, add a HEART pendant that features your birthstone, then your zodiac sign, and finally, choose one or more meaningful symbols, like a HORSESHOE Pendant for luck or an ANCHOR Pendant to represent stability (or the sea). Still stuck? Our necklace ideas page has plenty of other suggestions that should speak to your style and your spirit.

Play with Shapes and Colors

All of our pendant charms come in two lengths and four colors—and some of our bestsellers are also available with gemstones and diamonds—so you’ve got endless opportunities to experiment with different pendant lengths, metal colors, and finishes until you find the variety and texture combination that feels just right.

Treat It Like a Work in Progress

The best part of our Custom Necklace Builder? You never have to be finished designing. Our Stringer Chain makes it easy to add and remove pendant charms at any time, so you can continue adding and changing your jewelry as your style, preferences, and interests change through the years.

Ready to build a stunning and unique necklace? Try our Custom Necklace Builder now.