Chrome Hearts Chain Types: Paper, Roll, Ball and Twist Chains Explained

Chrome Hearts necklace chains come in a few distinct link styles. The best known is the paper chain, with engraved links. Alongside it are the roll chain (a rolo link), the ball chain (a beaded chain), the twist chain and heavier fancy-link styles, mostly sold in set lengths between 16 and 30 inches. As a starting point, ball and roll chains are the chains many pendants are sold on, the paper chain is the wider and more prominent link, and 18 to 20 inches puts a pendant near the collarbone while 24 to 30 inches drops it lower.

Searches for a Chrome Hearts chain also bring up wallet chains and chain bracelets, which are separate categories with their own wallet chains. This guide is about necklace chains.

Sizes and descriptions below come from published resale listings and auction catalogues, because we could not find an official Chrome Hearts chain specification sheet. Once Legos is an independent NYC reseller of pre-owned Chrome Hearts, not affiliated with, endorsed by or authorized by Chrome Hearts, and the style names here are the labels the resale market uses rather than an official catalogue.

The main Chrome Hearts necklace chains

Paper chain

The paper chain is the style most closely associated with Chrome Hearts necklaces. Its links are engraved with Chrome Hearts branding, and the necklace closes with a box-style clasp: one resale listing describes a double-latch box clasp, and others note 14k white gold in the clasping mechanism. Three published listings of paper chain necklaces, at roughly 20 and 24 inches, all give a width of 5 mm. Listed lengths run from 16 to 30 inches, and the style also exists as a bracelet and in 22k gold.

Roll chain

The roll chain is a rolo-link chain of round, polished links. Resale listings give widths of about 2 to 2.5 mm: 2.5 mm on a 22-inch necklace, and 2.2 mm on a roll chain carrying a diamond-set Baby Fat cross. A 20-inch listing describes a branded lobster clasp, and lengths are listed from 16 to 30 inches. It is a lighter, more discreet chain than the paper chain, which makes it a natural partner for small pendants.

Ball chain

The ball chain is a beaded chain of small spheres. It is the chain many pendants are sold on in published listings: Tiny CH Cross, Baby Fat, Filigree Cross and dagger pendants all appear on ball chains, in lengths including 18, 20 and 30 inches, and one listing is a bare 18-inch ball chain described as a base for your favorite pendants. The 30-inch length is common enough that it needs its own note, below.

Twist chain

Twist chains use twisted links. The ones we found in published listings are gold: a 22k yellow gold twist chain listed at 16 inches, and white gold twist chains. Because they are gold, they differ from the silver chains above in care and in what you should check at purchase, so confirm the metal and the karat stamp.

Link, cross-link and fancy-link chains

Beyond those four, Chrome Hearts makes plain and decorative link chains. A published silver chain necklace is described as a link style chain 2 mm wide, and a cross pendant necklace is described as hanging on a continuous cross link chain with a 14k white gold clasp tongue. Gold examples include fancy link and bar link chains; our necklaces page has shown a 22K gold fancy link chain at 20 inches and a white gold bar link chain at 18 inches.

Standard lengths and where they sit

Chrome Hearts chains are sold in set lengths. Published listings show the paper chain at 16, 18, 20, 24 and 30 inches, the roll chain at 16, 20, 22 and 30 inches, and ball chains from 18 to 30 inches. Standard jewelry length conventions tell you where each lands:

• 16 inches: at the base of the neck. Choker length is conventionally 14 to 16 inches.
• 18 inches: just below the collarbone. Princess length is conventionally 17 to 19 inches, and one listing calls 18 inches a versatile foundation for pendants.
• 20 to 24 inches: nearer the bust line. Matinee length is conventionally 20 to 24 inches.
• 30 inches: longer than the 28 to 36 inch range that jewelry guides call opera length. One listing describes a 30-inch chain as a dramatic, elongated drape for layering.

Body size and neckline change the result, so treat these as a starting point. Listed lengths are also approximate: two paper chains sold in the 24-inch range are measured at 24 and 24.25 inches in published listings, so ask for the measured length instead of relying on the name. If you mostly wear hoodies and crewnecks, 24 inches or more shows more of the pendant, while 16 to 20 inches suits open collars. That is practical styling logic, not a Chrome Hearts rule.

Which pendant goes on which chain

• Tiny and small crosses and Baby Fat charms: a ball chain or a roll chain. Listings pair them with ball chains of 18 to 30 inches and with a 2.2 mm roll chain. Our cross pendant guide covers the styles and sizes.
• Dagger pendants: ball chains appear in published pairings, including a dagger on a ball chain and a dagger dog tag on a ball chain.
• Large or heavy pendants: choose a chain that looks proportionate, but do not assume heavy means paper chain. A catalogued 45.7 gram gold dog tag hangs on an 11.2 gram, 30-inch ball-link chain.
• No pendant: the paper chain and the roll chain are both sold as standalone necklaces, and at 5 mm the paper chain is the more prominent of the two.

Before pairing a pendant with a chain it did not come on, check that the bail opening is wide enough for the chain's link thickness. Some pendants are sold alone and some on a chain, and one small dagger listing includes the pendant alone, so confirm exactly what is included in any purchase.

How to read a chain listing

Resale listings describe chains in very different amounts of detail, and the missing details are usually the ones that matter. A complete listing gives you all of the following:

• Style: paper, roll, ball, twist or a named link style, so you know what you are comparing.
• Measured length, in inches, with the clasp closed.
• Width in millimetres, which is the quickest way to tell a 2 mm roll chain from a 5 mm paper chain.
• Weight in grams, which you can compare against a verified reference for the same chain.
• Metal and stamps: .925 sterling silver, or a karat mark on gold, plus a close-up of the stamps near the clasp.
• Clasp type and condition, shown in a photo of the clasp itself.

Some listings state units loosely, and a chain's length can appear next to a millimetre label, so if a figure looks wrong, ask before you buy. A chain listed as 20 inches cannot be 20 mm long.

Clasps, stamps and condition

Check the clasp first, because it is the moving part. It should close firmly and sit flush, whether it is the lobster clasp described on a roll chain or the box clasp described on paper chains. Look along the full length for kinked or open links, and for engraving worn smooth. Stamps near the clasp and engraving on the links are also part of authentication, and our guide to how to tell if Chrome Hearts jewelry is real explains what to compare.

Do not read too much into stamped dates. A published auction catalogue for a gold Chrome Hearts dog tag lists the pendant as dated 1998 and its chain as dated 2006, so a pendant and chain with different dates are not automatically mismatched.

Buying a chain or a matched set

A pendant and chain sold together in one listing is the simplest purchase, because the bail and the links are already known to fit. If you are buying separately, get the measured length, the width in millimetres and, ideally, the gram weight of the chain, and compare the clasp and stamps with a genuine piece.

Every chain we list is physically in hand in New York, authenticated and graded Brand New, Excellent, Great, Good or Fair, with the grade shown on the listing. All sales are final, and our FAQ explains how we authenticate and grade. Browse current necklaces and chains, or book a private visit to our NYC Showroom to see how a chain hangs before you buy. If you own a chain, Sell To Us gives same-day offers, with payment released once the piece passes authentication.

The bottom line

Pick the chain in three steps: the style (ball or roll for small pendants, paper chain when you want the chain itself to show), the length (18 to 20 inches near the collarbone, 24 to 30 inches lower) and the condition of the clasp and links. Then confirm exactly what is included and compare the stamps with a genuine piece.