Stainless steel necklaces for women, pendant by pendant

Gold, silver or rose gold: start with the finish

Finish is the quickest way to narrow this range down, and gold-tone models outnumber the silver ones here. The third group is smaller and easy to miss. A rose gold-plated speckled medallion sits somewhere between warm and neutral, which is why it works with beige, dusty pink and black at once.

Pendants worth knowing before you choose

Hearts run through the whole range: plain, mother-of-pearl, intertwined in pairs, overlapping, or falling in a cascade. Medallions come next, round or teardrop-shaped, in ceramic, mother-of-pearl or resin with a marbled finish. Then come the moons and stars, the openwork circles set with rhinestones, and a run of named stones such as rose quartz, amethyst and turquoise. A few pieces are simply good fun: candy-coloured teddy bears, a cat charm, a cherry, a tropical leaf. If a symbol matters more than a shape, look for the tree of life, the lucky clover, the infinity sign or the LOVE safety pin. The same motifs turn up on the steel earrings, so pairing the two is straightforward.

One chain, a double strand or a multi-strand necklace

A single chain with one pendant is the quiet option, and it disappears neatly under a shirt collar. A double strand does the layered look for you, with two chains joined at one clasp instead of two separate necklaces to untangle. Multi-strand designs go further and mix fine chains with rows of pearls. Where a length is stated on the product page, it is usually a 40 cm chain, which sits just below the collarbone; a few designs use a toggle or medallion clasp that shows at the front rather than hiding at the back. Rings and earrings in the wider steel range follow the same three finishes.

Putting a matching set together

You do not have to assemble one yourself. Several ready-matched sets pair a necklace with earrings around a single motif: a pearlescent heart, blue flowers, butterflies or a mosaic medallion.

To carry the same finish onto the hand, the plain, wide and openwork bands in the same range stack in twos or look right on their own. As a rule of thumb, one bold piece and one quiet piece beat two bold ones.

Looking after a stainless steel necklace

Very little is needed. Wipe the piece with a soft cloth after wearing it, and once a month wash it in warm water with a mild soap, then dry the rhinestone settings properly since damp likes to sit there. Take the necklace off before the pool: glued charms and mother-of-pearl pendants last longer that way. Store fine chains flat rather than loose in a box, or you will spend the evening untangling them.