One of the virtues of Indian jewelry is that there are an infinite number of designs to choose from.  One of my favorites is the long Indian necklace – known colloquially as “a chain” by my Indian mother and aunts.  When I was a kid, my mother would stop me before I headed out to school and ask, “Don’t you want to put on a chain?”

Needless to say, wearing “chains” to elementary school was not happening.  But how times have changed.  Long Indian necklaces have turned out to be perfect for my job as an attorney.  Check out these looks below:

Ruby Red Necklace

I love this necklace because it is subtle, and short.  It’s not exactly a “long” Indian necklace, but because it doesn’t have a pendant, I still classify it as a “chain”.  I have worn this necklace with black dresses and white shirts.  The gemstones (I’m not sure what they are  . . . rubies?  Topaz?) sparkle nicely.  Even if I am tired and/or hung over – more common in my twenties than now in my late thirties – this necklace always makes me look pulled together and professional.  Win!

Let’s take a look at another long Indian necklace:

Needless to say, I absolutely love this necklace, for billions of reasons.  One – it’s classic.  Pearls are associated with classic looks and tradition here in the U.S., and I love tapping into that look just by putting this necklace on.  It’s not a traditional American pearl necklace, but it still is evocative of American tradition . . . just by being a pearl necklace.  The design, however, is utterly Indian.  In my mind, this is Indian fashion fusion at its best.

This necklace is also amazing because it can be worn even longer than shown.  For this picture, I looped it around twice and then fastened it.  But it can go much longer if you want.  A lot of Indian necklaces can be worn this way.

I have worn this pearl necklace with any variety of clothes.  It works well with a little black dress, as seen above.  It also works with a variety of colors, and even with intricate prints.  My only caution – don’t wear this type of necklace with casual clothes, or it will overpower your look.  Business clothes and formal wear only!

Let’s take a look now at a long emerald bead and gold Indian necklace:

This necklace works well because it’s subtle.  In fact, it’s so subtle that you may not even be able to see what it looks like in the above photos.  Here’s a better closeup:

As you can see, it’s an intricate design, but not overpowering.  Because it’s so subtle, I actually do not think this chain works well with a little black dress.  I would wear it on a company day out, perhaps with a white shirt or an Ann Taylor Loft-type shirt.  The key is to pair it with a top that is not too casual, but also not too dressy.

Now let’s take a look at another long Indian gold necklace with pearls:

This Indian pearl necklace, just like the previous pearl necklace, works perfectly with work clothes.  I personally think the heavier and more traditional fabric you pair with this necklace, the better it will look.  I do not think it works well with thin, summer dresses or flimsy fabric.  I mostly wore this necklace in the winter, with heavy fabric dresses and blazers.

Now let’s take a look at another ruby and gold long Indian necklace, paired with a little black party dress!

Usually, I tend to avoid wearing heavy Indian jewelry to parties.  But with this dress, I think it’s possible.  This necklace design is very old school – I don’t see many contemporary women in India wearing this type of design.

But don’t let that make you hesitate – I think it’s time to bring the Indian classics back!  In my book, the oldies are the goodies.  Nothing beats classic Indian jewelry.  I think this necklace pairs very well with this slightly gothic dress.  The dress itself is perfect for cocktail hour or a night out at a fancy restaurant with friends.  The necklace adds a nice touch of class, and also looks trendy when combined with this outfit.

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I’ll stop here – we just went through a lot of looks.  All these necklaces were paired with a little black dress – the same black dress, except for the last photos.  My goal in using the same black dress was to demonstrate how easy it is to change up the look of the dress by tossing on some Indian jewelry.  I look forward to hearing how this works for others!