Italy is famous for its craftsmen in different spheres: glass, fabrics, jewelry, vine, clothes, furniture and a lot more. Italian artists made the great contribution into art and culture, architecture and literature, music and fashion. It was the Italian designer, who brought the passion, inherent only to this nation, into jewelry.
The jeweler named Franco invented the chain pattern that became famous and loved by many. The construction of the Franco link chain displays four-sided V-shaped or chevron links put tightly together.
What does a Franco chain look like? It has two visible sides. The one side shows the V-pattern and the other looks more like a Cuban. And it can be understood if you are familiar with the history of those chains and know that they both are just the types of a curb style. The Franco design itself can be divided into two types: the classic and the rounded. While classic Franco has more sharp angles and straight lines, the rounded type possesses streamlined frame and softer shape.
Because of the link’s connection Franco necklace is very sturdy and durable. There’s always a possibility, that one of the links may get damaged or broken, but even if it happens, it’s highly unlikely that the whole necklace will break. The famous pattern makes the chain not only intricate, but also reliable. Another advantage of the Franco is that thanks to the close setting of the links it’s difficult to get the necklace tangled, though it still remains flexible. All the mentioned above makes this jewelry item one of the best options for pendants, lockets and medallions.
Originally designed for men it became one of their favorite styles, as it can help to express both, masculine strength and passionate romanticism, in a way only Italians are capable of.
Women also are often tempted by this recognizable style. It becomes very delicate and elegant when chosen in small width. And in addition to this it rarely catches hair, so you may not worry about your locks.
If we started talking about sized, let’s mention, that this chain, as many others, were popularized by rappers. And we all know that they are not the fans of minimalism. Massive Franco necklaces decorated the necks of hip-hop lovers along with layers of other chains and bulky pendants laid with diamonds. Huge heavy logos, dollar signs and other rap-attribute pendants were placed on the Franco chain, which proves its strength well enough.
The Franco link chain quickly gains weight along with width, so you should be aware that it can become quite heavy. If you want a status jewelry but don’t like to carry loads, you may opt for hallow item of the style. There are advantages and disadvantages in this choice. Hallow necklace is lighter and more affordable, but it loses in durability and value in comparison to solid gold. The popular choice of gold for this style is 10k, 14k or 18k. The price gets higher with the percentage of gold in the alloy of the jewelry, but the difference in looks is very elusive. Other very popular variants of materials for Franco chains are considered to be sterling silver or stainless steel.
For more sophisticated looks you may consider Franco pattern in different colors of gold, from classic yellow and white, to charming pink and stylish black.
But how to choose a perfect Franco link chain specifically for you? The first step of selecting a perfect necklace lies within you. You should be aware of and adequately perceive all the disadvantages of your appearance. Don’t lie to yourself, as the jewelry selected by mistake will only highlight the imperfections you’d rather hide.
Let’s start with the face. Define the shape type of your face and pick the necklace according to it. For the round shape you should pick the Franco design of middle length and width or prolonged variants which will make the face visually longer and thinner, while thick chokers would only highlight the cheeks’ puffiness, and the chain that is too long would look inappropriate. People with oval shaped face are the luckiest, as there are no restrictions for them and every type of jewelry will look nice. But it’s a bad idea to think that if you can wear everything, you should wear it all at once. Don’t make a Christmas tree out of yourself. Square shape of face looks better with thin Franco chains of middle or maxi length completed by a pendant. Triangular face owners should avoid thick chokers and opt for V-shaped necklace, like chain with a pendant, while reversed triangle on contrary should choose shorter and wider rounded chain necklaces. If you have a stretched face, select thick Franco chokers to visually make it more round, and avoid long necklaces.
To make the accent on a beautiful long neck use short or mid-length Franco chain, but be careful with long types of jewelry not to create the giraffe effect.
The body type also matters. Thin ladies look ridiculous with long massive necklaces, they’d better pick delicate ones. The same goes for girls with curves, as thin chains won’t fit them, while the ones of mid or maxi length will make the body visually slenderer.
The second thing you should take into consideration is your complexion in order to get the right color of your Franco chain. Yellow gold looks great on dark skin, while fair complexion likes silver or white gold. Rose items look elegant, but you should be very careful as they can get lost on a fair skin with a little blush.
Some basic rules of wearing jewelry are also very helpful if you want your Franco chain look perfect. The main of them is the rule of 3 items, which forbids wearing more than 3 jewelry pieces at once and at least one of them should be placed far from the face.
So, keeping in mind that you already chose a Franco chain, you’d better complete it with earrings and a bracelet or a ring. But never wear it together with a brooch.
Consider the metal your Franco chain is made of and its color. The combination of different metals, especially different colors of metals, will make the look cheap and ridiculous. So if you put on the gold Franco necklace, make sure other jewelry is also made of gold of the same color, it will considerably elevate your look.
And the last but not the least you should remember while putting on a Franco chain, is that it should harmoniously match the neckline of your outfit. Classic collar of a shirt goes well with mid-length chain completed by a pendant, though fashion designers this year also recommend wearing a thick choker on top of the shirt slightly visible from underneath the collar. Oval and deep oval prefer chokers or thick chains that repeat the shape of the neckline. Square shape matches delicate jewelry with laconic pendants. You shouldn’t pick the outfit with asymmetric neckline if you already decided to wear a Franco item, as it will visually overload the image.
So to get yourself or the one you care for the perfect Franco chain, you should find a good jewelry store with positive recommendations. The tips from above will help you choose the right piece of Italian passion and beauty, and wear it in such a way, that it would make you look perfect instead of being perfect on its own.
