The answer is, it's a personal decision. It comes down to where you want the pendant to land. Do you want it high on the neck like a choker or do you want it tucked down low into your clothing? The typical necklace length for a women is usually around 18-20". A man usually wears it around 24-27". Use this guide to help you decide what length chain to get. It is estimated so for ideal sizing, it is recommended to take a string and wrap it around your neck to where you want it to hang and then measure the length of the string.

Two factors to think about are your neck size and height. Whatever your neck measurement is, add two inches to that for chokers which are usually sized at 16 inches for a woman; add four inches to it for a great length for a pendant necklace. Your height is another factor to consider when choosing the right necklace chain. Shorter people, like women below 5'4, look best in 16 to 18 inches; or men below 5'8 might consider 20". Those who are taller than than that, can really work with any size chain.