Choosing the Right Chain

It's important to us that the chains we carry here are durable and serviceable. Chains that are worn regularly will wear out eventually. If enough force is applied to a chain, it will break. However, there are a few key features that will give you a chain that is longer wearing and more resistant to breaking.

Why do chains wear out?

All chains wear as they are worn. This is due to the friction caused when we move around. As we move, the links rub against us and our clothes. But most of the wear is from the links rubbing against each other. As they do this, very small amounts of metal are worn away. If you've ever worn a heavier chain for a long time, you may have noticed little notches in the links where they have worn into each other. This will even cause the chain to lengthen over time. The most common place for a chain to wear out first is next to the clasp, or the clasp itself. Rebuilding these weakened sections or replacing a worn clasp are common maintenance. As it wears, the strength of the chain is reduced and it will require less force to be broken. These breaks may be repairable. But if the chain is worn long enough, it will eventually be "worn out" and repairing it will not be practical. If you have a chain like this, you may want to avoid wearing valuable pendants on it.

In many ways, chains are like the tires on your car. They will wear over time. The driver can do some things to lengthen or shorten their use. Better tires tend to last longer.

One practical way to reduce the wear on your chain is to take it off when you sleep.

Chain breaks

Any chain can be broken if enough force is applied to it. Generally, the heavier the chain, the stronger it is. If the chain is not too light or too worn, it can often be repaired. The force that causes the break can also stretch the chain, elongating the links. Unfortunately, there is not much that can be done about that typically. Sometimes, removing some of the stretched links next to the break can be a solution. Generally, the best way to avoid chain breaks it to wear a chain that is fit for it's use and your lifestyle. Do you wear a pendant on it? Is it heavy? Do you have little ones that like to grab your cross and venerate it? Are you a very active person in your work or leisure?

You might want to consider a stronger chain.

What to avoid

Extremely lightweight

Generally, the heavier the chain is, the longer it wears and the more force it takes to break it. If a chain is broken and not worn out, it can be repaired if it is not too light. Also, heavier pendants apply more force to the chain, so keep that in mind when choosing your chain.

Weak clasps

It's a shame to have a nicely built chain ruined by a weak clasp. Make sure your clasp closes firmly and doesn't have any unsoldered links. Look out for "spring rings". These typically cannot be soldered closed to attach to the chain. The mechanism to close the clasp uses a very fine coil spring. Look for lobster claw clasps, which use a heavier leaf spring and can take the heat of a ring being soldered closed. There are other clasps that can be secure if installed and adjusted properly, such as a barrel or box clasp.

Open/Unsoldered links

All of the links on a good chain are soldered closed. It's very common to find chains that have unsoldered rings that attach the clasp to the chain, or on the clasp itself. It used to be that there were some gold chains that had unsoldered rings as part of the clasp ("spring ring clasps") that were adequately strong for the strength of the chain and for occasional wear. However, I would just avoid those now. It's difficult to discern which might be ok. Look for chains with no unsoldered links.

Hollow chain

This is very common now. Hollow chains are made of hollow components (links, wire). Think of the difference between a piece of round metal bar versus a piece of pipe. The wall of the hollow wire can be very thin. Once you wear through the the thin outside layer, the chain quickly fails.

If the chain looks heavy, but isn't, or if it seems to be cheaper than it should be, look out. This is definitely something to be aware of if you're shopping for a chain online. You probably won't be able to tell if the chain is hollow unless they tell you.

What to look for

Solid construction

Good weight, thickness, stout looking components connecting the chain to the clasp, all links soldered closed.

Strong clasps

Lobster claw, barrel, box styles.

Fit and finish

This is a bit subjective. But if the chain seems like it was assembled with care, not misaligned, sloppily soldered or misshapen, it's more likely to be of good quality generally.

I hope this helps you in making decisions regarding what chain to wear your cross on. The chains we carry in our store meet these quality criteria. Of course, some are heavier, and therefore stronger than others. These are certainly not your only options and we are always happy to sell you a cross without a chain if you have something else in mind. If you have any questions regarding the chains we have in our shop, please use use our contact form.

Rdr. Philip