Most people buying a personalised necklace are not really shopping for jewellery. They are trying to turn something they feel into something they can hold. A name they say a hundred times a day. A photo they keep going back to. A dog who is not here any more.
That makes the choosing harder than it should be, because there are six genuinely different kinds of personalised necklace and they suit very different people. This guide goes through all of them, then the two decisions that trip most people up: which metal, and how far ahead to order. Everything here is how the pieces in our own range actually work, so you can treat it as a checklist rather than a sales pitch.
What counts as a personalised necklace
A personalised necklace is any necklace that carries something specific to one person. The personal part can be a photograph, a name, a word engraved into the metal, a birthstone, a pet, or a set of charms chosen one at a time. Everything in our personalised necklace range sits in one of those six groups, and the group you pick matters far more than the pendant shape.
The six kinds, and who each one suits
1. Photo necklaces
A photo necklace holds a real photograph. The back of the pendant is a square of glass with the picture printed onto it, so light passes straight through. Hold the front of the pendant very close to your eye, or right up against a phone camera, and the photo appears inside. Press the pendant against a phone torch and it throws the image onto a wall or the palm of your hand.
Nothing on the outside gives it away, which is the part people react to. If you want the mechanics in full, we have written up how a photo necklace with a picture inside works.
One thing worth knowing before you choose a shape: the printed photo element is the same size in every piece, whether you pick a small circle charm or a larger heart pendant. The setting around it changes, the photo does not. So the same photo advice applies to all of them, and it is worth two minutes of your time, because a dark or crowded picture is the single most common reason someone is disappointed. Our guide to choosing the photo covers what to look for.
Start with the photo necklace collection. The Circle Photo Necklace is the one most people land on, and the Halo Photo Necklace is the dressier version of the same idea. If you want help narrowing it down, there is a longer photo pendant buying guide too.
2. Photo lockets
Lockets do the same emotional job in a quieter way: the photo sits inside the pendant rather than being something you hold to the light. The Heart Photo Locket Necklace also takes an optional engraving on the front, which is how people usually add a date or a set of initials.
Lockets suit someone who wants the piece to look like ordinary jewellery and not be asked about it. If that is the brief, read the complete guide to photo locket jewellery and our pick of the best personalised lockets in the UK.
3. Name and initial necklaces
Name necklaces are the easiest to get right, because there is no photo to judge. You type the name, pick a finish, and that is the decision made. The Personalised Name Necklace is the straightforward version. The Initial and Birthstone Necklace pairs a single letter with a birth month, which works well when you are buying for a mum and want more than one child represented over time.
If a full name feels like too much, a Morse Code Necklace spells it in beads instead, so only the two of you know what it says. We have a whole post on what to write on a Morse code necklace if you are stuck for the word. For couples, interlocking heart name necklaces put two names on one pendant.
Character limits vary between pieces, so check the name field on the product page before you settle on a long name or a double-barrelled surname. Browse them all in name necklaces.
4. Engraved necklaces
Engraving puts the personal part into the metal itself, which is the most understated of the six and ages the best. An Engraved Fingerprint Necklace is the version people choose for memorial pieces, because a fingerprint is specific in a way a name is not.
Worth knowing: not every engraved piece asks for typed text. Some work from an image you upload, and the Engraved Rectangle Necklace is one of them. Check whether the product page is asking for a photo or for words before you order, rather than assuming. The full set is in engraved necklaces.
5. Pet necklaces
Pet pieces split into two. The Pet Face Necklace engraves your pet’s face onto the pendant and takes their name as well, so it reads as a portrait. The Paw Print Necklace is the gentler option, and the one most people choose after a loss.
Both get bought as memorial pieces far more often than as gifts for a living pet, which is worth knowing if you are writing the card. There is a full guide to the pet face necklace and a separate one on paw print necklaces and pet memorial jewellery. Everything sits together in pet necklaces.
6. Charm and birthstone necklaces
Charm necklaces are the one kind that is not finished when it arrives. You build it, and then you add to it. The DIY Charm Jewellery Kit lets you pick the pieces yourself, and the Photo and Birthstone Charm Necklace combines a photo charm with a birth month on the same chain.
Birthstones are chosen by month from a dropdown rather than typed in. If you are not sure which month to pick for a joint gift, our birthstone guide runs through all twelve. See the range in charm necklaces.
Plated or 925 sterling silver: the decision people get wrong
Most pieces offer four finishes: Silver, Gold, Rose Gold and 925 Sterling Silver. A few offer fewer, so check the dropdown rather than assuming. Across our range, sterling silver sits around £10 above the plated version of the same necklace.
That £10 is the decision. Plated is the right call for a piece that will be worn now and then, or for a first gift where you are not certain of the recipient’s taste. Sterling silver is the right call for something meant to be worn every day for years, and it is what our reviewers single out most often when they talk about quality.
Our jewellery is made from 316 stainless steel, 18k gold and 925 sterling silver, and is hypoallergenic for most people. If you want the difference explained properly rather than in one line, we have a post comparing silver plated and 925 sterling silver.
Chain length and how it will sit
Most of our necklaces come on a 45cm chain with a further 5cm of adjustability, which sits just below the collarbone on most adults and can be shortened for a closer fit. A few pieces, including the Morse Code Necklace, come on a 45cm chain that is fully adjustable.
If you are buying as a surprise and cannot check what they already wear, the adjustable chain is doing the work for you. It is one of the few sizing decisions in jewellery you can get away with not knowing.
What the product page will ask you for
- A finish. Silver, Gold, Rose Gold or 925 Sterling Silver, depending on the piece.
- A photo or a name. Photos upload as JPG, PNG, GIF or WebP.
- Gift packaging, if you want it. A gift bag, a preserved rose box or a jewellery box can be added at the product stage.
- One order per photo. If you are buying several pieces with different photos, add each one to the basket separately, or they will all be made with the same image.
Delivery, and how far ahead to order
Every personalised necklace is made to order, which is the part worth planning around. Delivery to the UK, Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand currently runs at 1 to 2 weeks. The rest of the world is 2 to 3 weeks.
Work backwards from the date rather than forwards from today. If it is for a birthday three weeks out you are comfortable; if it is for one next Friday, you are not, and it is better to know that now. Delivery timing is the single most common thing our customer service team is asked about, and the honest answer is that made to order takes the time it takes. Our team replies within 24 hours if you need to check where an order is.
Every order is covered by a 100-day satisfaction guarantee: if you are not happy with it, we will replace or refund it.
Looking after it
Personalised necklaces need slightly more care than a plain chain, mostly because of the photo element. Marks that look like a flaw on a photo pendant are usually dust on the flat side and come off with a gentle clean. Our care guide covers how to clean projection jewellery without damaging it, and what to keep it away from.
Still not sure? Pick by who it is for
- A partner, and you want a reaction: a photo necklace. Nothing else in the range gets opened the same way.
- A mum or grandmother: an initial and birthstone necklace, or a locket. Both grow with the family rather than fixing one moment.
- Someone who does not wear much jewellery: an engraved piece. It reads as a plain necklace until someone asks.
- After losing a pet: a paw print necklace, which is the gentler of the two pet options.
- In memory of a person: start with our memorial jewellery guide rather than the product pages.
- Still deciding: the gift guides for her and him are organised by person rather than by product.
Whichever one you land on, the thing that makes it work is the detail you choose, not the pendant you put it in. A good photo, the right name, the correct month. Get that part right and the rest is just metal.
FAQ
What is a personalised necklace?
A personalised necklace is any necklace that carries something specific to one person: a photograph, a name, a word engraved into the metal, a birthstone, a pet’s face or paw print, or a set of charms chosen individually. The personalisation is added when the piece is made, which is why personalised necklaces are made to order rather than held in stock.
How long does a personalised necklace take to arrive in the UK?
Because every piece is made to order, delivery to the UK currently runs at 1 to 2 weeks, as it does for Europe, the USA, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. The rest of the world is 2 to 3 weeks. If you are buying for a specific date, work backwards from that date rather than forwards from the day you order.
Is a personalised necklace better in plated or sterling silver?
Sterling silver sits around £10 above the plated version of the same necklace. Plated is the sensible choice for a piece worn occasionally or a first gift where you are not sure of their taste. 925 sterling silver is worth the difference for something intended to be worn every day for years, and it is the material our reviewers mention most often when they praise quality.
Can you really put a photo inside a necklace?
Yes. On a photo projection necklace the back of the pendant is a square of glass with the photograph printed onto it. Hold the front of the pendant close to your eye, or against a phone camera, and the picture appears inside it. Press the pendant against a phone torch and the image projects onto a wall or your hand. A photo locket carries the photograph inside the pendant instead.
Does a bigger pendant hold more of the photo?
No. The printed photo element is the same size in every photo projection piece, whether it is a small circle charm or a larger heart pendant. Only the setting around it changes. That means the same photo advice applies whichever shape you choose: a square crop, good lighting and one clear subject filling the frame.
What chain length do personalised necklaces come with?
Most of our necklaces come on a 45cm chain with a further 5cm of adjustability, which sits just below the collarbone on most adults. A few pieces, including the Morse Code Necklace, come on a 45cm fully adjustable chain. The adjustability is useful when you are buying as a surprise and cannot check what they normally wear.
Can you return a personalised necklace?
Every order is covered by a 100-day satisfaction guarantee. If you are not happy with the piece, we will replace it or refund it. If something looks wrong on arrival it is worth contacting the team first, since marks on a photo pendant are often dust on the flat side rather than a fault, and clean off.
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