Why Does The Chain Decide The Box Rather Than The Pendant?
A pendant sits still once it has been placed in the insert. A chain does not because it moves every time the box is handled and takes the shortest path it finds. That movement produces the most common complaint in this whole category, a necklace arriving tangled.
Fixing that with a bigger box makes it worse rather than better because more room gives the chain more travel. The answer is a channel or a coil slot that holds the chain in one position.
The decision therefore starts with one question that has nothing to do with the pendant. Does this chain coil, or does it have to lie flat?
Which Chains Coil And Which Ones Must Lie Flat
Chain construction decides this rather than the length of the chain. A cable or curb chain bends in every direction and coils down to a small circle without complaint. A snake or omega chain resists bending across its width so a coil leaves a permanent bend in it.
| Chain construction | Coils tightly | Smallest coil across | What the box needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cable and rolo | Yes | 45 to 55 mm | Square coil box with a center slot |
| Curb and figaro | Yes | 50 to 60 mm | Square coil box with a center slot |
| Box chain | Partly | 60 to 70 mm | Larger coil box or a long tray |
| Snake | No | Resists the bend | Long flat box with a straight channel |
| Omega | No | Holds its own shape | Long flat box with a straight channel |
| Herringbone | Never | Kinks permanently | Long flat box, never a coil |
The herringbone row matters more than any of the others in that table. A coiled herringbone chain develops a kink that no jeweler can press out, so a herringbone brand buys a long box whatever the cost comparison says.
How Long Does A Necklace Box Have To Be?
Length follows the chain style and the figures below use standard trade lengths. A chain folded once needs roughly half its own length plus a clasp allowance.
| Chain style | Chain length | Folded once | Interior length if it lies flat |
|---|---|---|---|
| Collar | 12 to 13 inches | 6 to 7 inches | 170 to 190 mm |
| Choker | 14 to 16 inches | 7 to 8 inches | 190 to 215 mm |
| Princess | 17 to 19 inches | 9 to 10 inches | 235 to 255 mm |
| Matinee | 20 to 24 inches | 10 to 12 inches | 265 to 315 mm |
| Opera | 28 to 35 inches | 14 to 18 inches | Coil or a tray with two channels |
Read the matinee and opera rows before pricing a flat box because a 315 mm box is deeper than most retail shelves are.
How Deep Does The Pendant Make The Box?
Depth is the one dimension that the pendant does set. It lies on top of the chain, so the box has to clear the pendant thickness plus the bail.
| Pendant type | Thickness with the bail | Internal depth needed |
|---|---|---|
| Flat charm or disc | 2 to 4 mm | 12 to 15 mm |
| Set stone in a bezel | 6 to 9 mm | 18 to 22 mm |
| Raised or claw set stone | 10 to 14 mm | 24 to 28 mm |
| Locket | 8 to 12 mm | 20 to 26 mm |
Send the pendant with its bail attached rather than the stone measurement alone, because the bail adds 4 to 8 mm and touches the lid.
Which Material Should A Necklace Box Be Built From?
| Material | Caliper or weight | What the surface takes | Suits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wrapped rigid greyboard | 1,200 to 1,500 micron | Full print on the wrap, foil | Fine jewelry and heritage lines |
| Velvet over board | 180 to 260 GSM pile | Foil and embossing only | Bridal and anniversary pieces |
| Leatherette over board | 0.6 to 0.9 mm | Foil and deboss only | Men’s chains and corporate gifting |
| SBS folding carton | 350 to 400 GSM | Full CMYK, foil, spot UV | Volume runs and retail shelves |
| Kraft board | 300 to 400 GSM | Print over a white undercoat | Natural and handmade positioning |
Velvet and leatherette take no printed ink under any process we run so a logo on either surface arrives as hot foil or embossing. Board weight and lid behavior are settled on our luxury rigid boxes product, and a magnet closure sits on our magnetic closure boxes product.
What Does A Wholesale Necklace Box Cost To Order?
A coil box and a flat box count as two separate minimums because each size needs its own die. The outer shipper does separate work from the presentation box and it is settled on our custom mailer boxes product. The chain channel is cut as a loose part under custom box inserts for brands filling a shell they already hold.
Minimum Order, Lead Time And Samples
- Minimum order is 100 units per size and design across every material in this range
- Price breaks arrive at 500 and 1,000 units on one artwork and not across mixed designs
- Production takes 8 to 10 business days for folding carton and 10 to 12 for rigid
- A plain sample takes 3 to 5 business days and a printed sample takes 7 to 10
- No setup or tooling fees apply because the die and the plates sit inside your unit price
- Shipping is free across the US and export orders are quoted separately
Request a Quote
Send the chain length and the chain construction and the pendant depth through our quote form. We return a dieline and a price within the week. Brands buying across several lines will find the wider catalog of customized boxes we print and make.
The Customized Boxes