Gold chains never get old: from Kate Middleton to Jay-Z, everyone loves a chunky necklace, with luxury brands like Bulgari, Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton all honing in on 2024’s enduring jewellery trend

Dec 17 , 2023

Rapper Jay-Z is just one of many hip-hop artists to embrace heavy gold jewellery, the latest in a long line of elites over the ages to do so. Photo: Redferns via Getty Images

From Ancient Egypt to Henry VIII, Coco Chanel to Jackie Kennedy, J.Lo and more hip-hop artists than we can ever name, gold chains have endured as the ultimate jewellery power play

Francesca Amfitheatrof put a modern spin on Tiffany & Co.’s Hardwear range, Schiaparelli and Balenciaga are setting golden trends, and even hip designers Ana Khouri, Suzanne Kalan and Martha Calvo are emboldening the OG statement piece

You might not immediately link the Princess of Wales’ style with that of LL Cool J and Jay-Z. But the near-universal appeal of a chunky gold chain necklace has seen it worn by everyone from inhabitants of ancient Babylon to Coco Chanel, Henry VIII to Jackie Kennedy Onassis – and of course just about every hip-hop star on the planet.

Rapper Cam’ron wearing Avianne & Co.’s Harlem World piece in 2006. Inspired by Brian De Palma’s Scarface, it includes a motor-operated spinning globe and a battery-operated stop light. Photos: Handout

The earliest examples of gold chain necklaces are thought to date back to around 2,500BC in Babylon and they were also worn by the Greeks, Romans and Ancient Egyptians, mostly as a sign of status and wealth.

Ana Khouri x Christie’s crystal necklace with green tourmaline

Since then, the gold chain necklace has never really gone out of style, though it has had particularly shining moments. Take Bulgari’s high glam curb chain necklaces of the 70s and 80s, or the incredible pieces by jeweller, sculptor and artist Ana Khouri presented at Christie’s Paris earlier this year, crafted from yellow gold set with chunky gemstones such as a 5.32-carat fancy intense natural pink diamond.

Louis Vuitton Deep Time Rupture necklace

Another highlight from this year’s high jewellery collections was the Rupture necklace in Francesca Amfitheatrof’s bold (and supercool) Deep Time collection for Louis Vuitton. A three-strand choker, it included a gold curb chain set with a triangle-cut Sri Lankan sapphire of 13.81 carats; a rivière of brilliant-cut zircons, Earth’s oldest gemstones and another of 15 Mexican opals. Each strand can be detached and worn separately.

Amfitheatrof, meanwhile, who likes to break the “rules” of jewellery, also created Tiffany & Co.’s modern classic HardWear collection when she was artistic director at the blue-chip American jeweller.

Gucci Marina chain – as at home in the water as on dry land

Chunky chains were spied on the autumn/winter runways at Chanel and Schiaparelli in recent seasons and other fashion houses such as Rabanne and Balenciaga also have striking options. To mark Sabato de Sarno’s much-anticipated debut as creative director of Gucci in September, the Italian fashion house released the campaign for its Marina Chain jewellery collection starring model Daria Werbowy poolside wearing chunky gold chain pieces.