Four chain styles cover almost everything worth owning in sterling silver, and the difference between them is not decoration — it is how the link is built. A curb chain is flattened oval links twisted so they lie flat. A Cuban link is built from the same kind of twisted link, but thicker in section and shorter in proportion, so the links seat into each other and the chain reads as one continuous piece of metal. A Franco is a square profile built from V-shaped links that slot into each other, dense and smooth. A rope is several strands twisted into a spiral, so it catches light from every angle.
This guide puts all four next to each other — construction, how each one wears, and the widths and weights we offer in each.
The four styles at a glance
| Style | Link shape | Reads as | Our widths |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cuban link | Thick interlocking flattened ovals | Presence, weight | 6 – 12,2 mm |
| Curb | Flattened ovals, twisted to lie flat | Everyday classic | 6,4 – 11,3 mm |
| Franco | V-shaped links in a square profile | Dense, discreet | 3,8 – 4,7 mm |
| Rope | Twisted, interwoven strands | Movement, light | 4,6 – 7,6 mm |
All four are made in Italy in solid 925 sterling silver, in 50, 55 and 60 cm necklace lengths. Three of the four — Cuban, curb and rope — also come as bracelets in 19 and 22 cm.
Cuban link: the one people mean by "a chain"
A Cuban link belongs to the same family as the curb — both are twisted links that lie flat — but it is not a curb link scaled up. The link is thicker in section and shorter relative to its width, so each one seats deeply into the next. The result has almost no visible gap between links — it reads as a single continuous piece of metal rather than a row of connected loops.
That construction is why Cuban chains are heavy, and the weight is the point. Our 50 cm at 6 mm weighs 49 g. Step up to 10,5 mm at the same length and it is 130 g. At 60 cm and 12,2 mm, it is 212 g. You feel the difference the moment you put it on, and so does anyone looking at it.
Cuban is the chain most people picture when they think of a silver chain, and it is what we are known for. At 6 mm it wears as easily as anything else here — flat under a collar, comfortable all day — and still reads unmistakably as a chain rather than as a fine necklace. From 9 mm up it becomes the piece the outfit is built around, which is exactly what it is for. Set against a curb chain the difference is mostly metal rather than shape, and Cuban link vs curb chain puts the two side by side at near-identical widths.
See our Cuban link chains and bracelets →
Curb: the lighter flat link
Curb is the older of the two flat-link styles, and the lighter of them. Oval links are flattened and given a half twist, which is what makes the chain lie flat against the skin instead of rolling. The links are thinner in section and longer relative to their width than a Cuban's, so there is a visible rhythm to the chain — you can see where one link ends and the next begins.
That visual openness makes curb read lighter than a Cuban of the same width, and the weights confirm it: our 50 cm curb at 6,4 mm is 43 g, where the Cuban at a slightly narrower 6 mm is 49 g. Nearly the same width, noticeably less metal.
Curb suits almost any neckline and works at 6,4 mm as easily as it does at 11,3 mm. Its visible link rhythm keeps it looking like jewellery even at the wide end, and at any given width it holds less metal than a Cuban. That is the trade: curb is the quieter and the lighter of the two, and the more affordable per piece. Choose it when you want silver at your neck without it being the first thing anyone notices. Where curb and Cuban actually differ — weight, value and clasp — is worth reading if those two are your shortlist.
See our curb chains and bracelets →
Franco: dense and quiet
Franco is the outlier in this group. Instead of oval links, it uses V-shaped links that slot into one another to form a square profile with four flat faces. The construction is exceptionally dense — there is very little air in a Franco chain — and the flat faces give it a smooth, almost machined surface rather than a linked one.
The density shows up in the numbers, and it is the clearest illustration on this page that a width in millimetres tells you nothing about how much silver you are getting. A 50 cm Franco at 4,7 mm weighs 55 g. A 50 cm rope at 4,6 mm — essentially the same width — weighs 36 g. The same millimetre reading, and about 50% more silver in the Franco.
We offer Franco at 3,8 and 4,7 mm only. It is the style for someone who wants a substantial chain that stays under a collar and does not announce itself. Franco is currently necklace-only in our range. The comparison people usually want is Franco vs Cuban link, since the two ranges meet at only one point — and that is where they are closest in both weight and price.
Rope: the one that moves
A rope chain is built from strands twisted around each other in a spiral, the way a physical rope is laid. The surface that produces is faceted rather than flat — dozens of small angled planes that pick up light from different directions as you move. Of the four, it is the style that does the most in ordinary daylight.
It is also the most fluid. The spiral construction has more give than a Franco's locked square links, so a rope chain drapes rather than sits. Our range runs 4,6 to 7,6 mm, and the character changes meaningfully across it: at 4,6 mm it is a fine everyday chain at 36 g, at 7,6 mm it is 104 g and reads much closer to a Cuban in presence while keeping the softer surface.
See our rope chains and bracelets →
How to choose between them
One question usually settles it:
- Do you want it noticed? Cuban above 9 mm, or curb at 11,3 mm.
- Do you want one chain that goes with everything? A 6 mm Cuban if you want it to read as a chain, a 6,4 mm curb if you want it lighter and quieter. At these widths there is nothing between them on versatility.
- Do you want weight without visibility? Franco. It puts more silver into less width than anything else here.
- Do you want movement and light rather than mass? Rope.
Two things matter as much as style: width decides how a chain reads from across a room, and length decides where it sits on your chest. Every width and weight we offer is listed on the product pages, and the necklaces come in 50, 55 and 60 cm.
What all four have in common
Every chain in our range is solid 925 sterling silver — 92,5% silver, and 7,5% other metals that harden it beyond what pure silver manages on its own. In our chains that 7,5% is copper, zinc and indium — there is no nickel in the alloy. Solid means exactly that: no hollow core. It is the reason a 10,5 mm Cuban weighs 130 g rather than a third of that, and the reason a damaged link can be repaired by a jeweller rather than written off.
All are made in Italy and stamped 925 and Italy — and nothing else, since our chains carry no maker's mark. What the 925 stamp does and does not tell you is worth knowing before you buy from anyone. Sterling silver also develops tarnish over time — that is the copper reacting with sulphur compounds in the air, not a fault, and it reverses with a polishing cloth. Most of it is avoidable by clasping a chain and storing it in a closed box, and our silver care range covers the rest.