How 2020 Proved That Chain Necklaces Are An Everyday Essential

 A weighty gold chain is one of the most enduring style signatures of 2020. Paired with a simple T-shirt or men’s blazer, chain necklaces have become a constant on the catwalk, on the streets and in Zoom calls. A symbol of relaxed chic, gold chains semaphore gentle fluidity and strength in one simple form. And no brand is more synonymous with the oversized gold chain than Pomellato, for whom the style has been central to the Italian fine jeweller’s DNA from its very beginning. 

Pomellato was founded by Pino Rabolini in Milan in 1967 during a period of social, cultural and political revolution. While frequenting Bar Jamaica, the city’s legendary hangout for artists and writers, Rabolini noticed that women were casting off the formal fashions and jewels of earlier generations and demanding an everyday wardrobe that worked for them and their newly liberated lifestyles.

Coming from a family of goldsmiths, Rabolini set about creating jewellery to match, foregrounding contemporary, wearable designs underpinned by Italian craftsmanship. His gourmette chain of sinuously curved links was both feminine and versatile – and, at the same time, strong enough to break through any glass ceilings its wearer might encounter. “I told myself that this was the prêt à porter of jewellery, which transforms gold into pure modernity,” he said in a 2017 book celebrating the brand’s 50th anniversary.

Chains have been a mainstay of the luxury brand ever since. “Chains are the calligraphy of Pomellato. The style remains unmistakable, even when we tell a new story with a fresh collection,” says creative director Vincenzo Castaldo. They may take the form of the “Tango” collection’s big, bold, three-dimensional links in mirror-finish gold or the more delicate form of diamond-sprinkled “Sabbia” designs, but they remain a timeless gateway to effortless elegance. Case in point: Cate Blanchett, who demonstrated their versatility at this year’s Venice Film Festival when she wore the brand’s whisper-light, rose gold Iconica bracelets by day with a blazer and a gem-set twist on the chain necklace with a dramatic midnight blue evening gown by night. 

The chain has been in and out of fashion over the decades. But, whether you are all about ’80s bling or ’90s mogul style, there is a chain out there that will speak to you. Its ability to imbue the wearer with polish and its cross-cultural appeal make it more relevant than ever. And since 2020 has been one long reminder that wardrobe staples that you will wear year in and year out are the only way forward, the chain looks like it is here to stay.