Necklace for Your Wife: 12 Ideas She'll Wear Every Day, by Occasion and Budget

Necklaces for your wife at a glance

Prices for every idea are live on the products below; all are solid 9k, 14k or 18k gold with real diamonds, unless marked as silver.

What kind of necklace should I buy my wife?

Three questions decide it:

1. What does she already wear every day? Look at her jewellery box and the necklace she reaches for most. Match its gold colour (white, yellow or rose) and its size: a dainty pendant for a minimalist, a halo or pavé for someone who loves sparkle.
2. Will it last? A wife's necklace should be worn for decades, so choose solid gold, not plated. Solid gold doesn't wear through, tarnish or turn the skin green. 14k gold (58.5% pure gold) is the best balance of colour and strength for everyday wear.
3. What do you want it to say? A solitaire for "you're the one", a heart for love, infinity for forever, a cross for faith. The 12 ideas below explain each one.

1. A diamond solitaire: the forever classic

A single diamond on a fine chain goes with everything, from jeans to an evening dress, which is why it's the necklace most wives wear daily. A floating solitaire, where the chain runs straight through the setting, looks as if the diamond rests on her skin; a six-prong pendant shows the diamond off and makes it look rounder.

• Kyra floating diamond solitaire: 0.50 ct, €1,110 lab-grown in 14k gold.
• Thalia six-prong solitaire: 0.50 ct, €1,300 lab-grown or €2,960 natural (G/VS2) in 14k gold.

Best for: anniversaries, especially the 10th, and big birthdays.

2. A bezel-set diamond: the most practical everyday necklace

In a bezel setting the diamond is wrapped in a smooth rim of gold instead of held by claws. Nothing catches on jumpers, hair or a baby's fingers, so it's the necklace she'll never need to take off. The Hestia bezel drop and the Phoebe bezel solitaire are both made this way.

Best for: new mums and wives who live in their jewellery.

3. A pavé diamond heart: love she can see

A heart covered in tiny diamonds is romantic without being over the top. The Kardia pavé heart (kardia means "heart" in Greek) is one of our favourite diamond necklaces, from €480 in solid gold.

Best for: birthdays and Valentine's Day.

4. An open heart: love that stays open

An open heart outlined in diamonds feels lighter and more modern than a solid heart. The Agapi open heart (agapi means "love") has a matching bracelet and earrings, so it's easy to build a set over the years. Read more in our open heart necklace guide.

Best for: anniversaries and "just because".

5. Infinity: 'forever' in one line

The infinity sign (∞) is drawn in one continuous line with no beginning and no end, the clearest symbol of a marriage meant to last. The Aenaos infinity necklace (aenaos means "eternal") is set with small diamonds in solid gold.

Best for: wedding anniversaries and vow renewals.

6. A halo pendant: maximum sparkle

A halo surrounds a centre diamond with a ring of smaller diamonds, so the pendant looks bigger and catches the light from every angle. The Helia halo, Halia halo and Aigli double halo are made for evenings out and Christmas.

Best for: wives who love sparkle; Christmas and milestone birthdays.

7. A diamond cross: faith and family

In Cyprus and Greece, a cross is worn every day and given for name days, Easter and christenings. A diamond cross in solid gold, such as the dainty Agia, the Charis with a single diamond, or the pavé Elpis and Pistis, becomes a family heirloom.

Best for: name days, Easter and a new baby's christening.

8. An open circle: your whole world

A circle has no beginning and no end, like a wedding ring, so an open circle stands for unity and a life lived together. The Kyklos open circle (kyklos means "circle") is a subtle way to say it every day.

Best for: anniversaries and wives who prefer understated pieces.

9. An open square: the home you built together

Four equal sides make the square a symbol of stability and a solid foundation. The Tetra open square is a meaningful, slightly unexpected gift for a new home or a big step you've taken together.

10. A diamond disc: modern and minimal

A small gold disc with a diamond, like the Mene disc, or a disc covered in pavé diamonds, like the Anemone, is clean and modern and layers beautifully with other chains.

11. A dainty solitaire: a diamond for every day

If she prefers barely-there jewellery, a tiny diamond like the Rhodia solitaire pendant is the necklace she'll forget she's wearing, until someone compliments it. It's also one of our most affordable solid gold diamond necklaces, from €510.

12. Silver hearts: a sweet gift on a smaller budget

Not every gift has to be gold. Interlocking hearts in sterling silver, like our bestselling Silver United Hearts Necklace, say "you and me" for a fraction of the price, and make a lovely surprise between bigger occasions.

The best necklace for each wedding anniversary

Anniversary traditions give each year a material; jewellery fits several of them perfectly:

• 1st anniversary: a dainty heart or open circle, the start of a collection.
• 5th anniversary: an infinity necklace, five years of "forever".
• 10th anniversary: diamond jewellery is the modern 10th-anniversary gift, so a diamond solitaire is the classic choice.
• 25th anniversary (silver): a diamond solitaire in white gold.
• 30th anniversary: pearls traditionally, or diamonds on the modern list.
• 50th anniversary (gold): a diamond necklace in 18k yellow gold.
• 60th anniversary: diamonds again, ideally her biggest yet.

For more ideas by year, see our anniversary necklace guide.

Necklaces for your wife by budget

• Under €100: sterling silver and gold-plated hearts, crosses and evil eyes. Gifts under €50 · Gifts €50–€100.
• €480–€750: solid gold with real diamonds: pavé and open hearts, infinity, crosses, halos and dainty solitaires. Diamond gifts under €500 · Diamond gifts €500–€750.
• €750 and up: larger diamond solitaires and double halos, and natural diamonds in 18k gold. Diamond gifts €750+.

With a lab-grown diamond, the same budget buys a bigger, whiter stone. Read natural vs lab-grown diamonds for the difference.

Choosing the gold, the chain and the size

• Gold colour: match her rings and watch. White gold looks modern and makes diamonds look whitest; yellow gold is warm, classic and very popular again; rose gold is romantic and flatters every skin tone.
• Karat: 14k is the best all-rounder. 18k has the richest colour; 9k is the hardest-wearing and most affordable.
• Chain length: a standard 40–45 cm chain sits on or just below the collarbone, the most flattering spot for a pendant and right for most wives.
• Diamond size: if she wears small, delicate jewellery, 0.10–0.30 ct looks elegant; if she loves sparkle, go for 0.50 ct or a halo.

What to write on the card

• Solitaire: "One diamond, because there's only one you."
• Infinity: "Forever wasn't long enough, so here's infinity."
• Heart: "You still have my whole heart."
• Open circle: "You're my whole world."
• Cross: "For our family, and the faith that keeps us together."