Short version: a wheat chain is four strands of little oval links braided together, all pointing the same way, so it looks like the kernels on a stalk of wheat. Jewelers call it a spiga sometimes, that's just Italian for the same thing. It's round, it's braided, it's heavier than it looks, and it's hard to break. If someone asked me for one chain to wear every day and not think about again, I'd probably hand them this.
How it's made
Four strands of oval or teardrop links get woven around each other. Every link points the same direction so the surface has a grain to it. Run your thumb down it one way, smooth. Other way, you feel the links. The braid is tight, so the chain is firm, but it's still a chain and it hangs like one.
People confuse it with rope all the time. Rope is strands twisted into a spiral, and you can see the spiral going around. Wheat is braided, the pattern runs straight down, there's no spiral.
Wheat, rope, Franco
- Rope twists. Sparklier, a bit more flexible, and it's the one everyone already knows.
- Wheat braids. Smoother, more even, quieter. Holds a pendant well. Doesn't flash like rope does, which some people like better.
- Franco is a V-weave. Flatter and stiffer than both. That's your pendant chain if you want no flex at all.
If rope is too much shine for you, wheat is the same strength with the volume turned down.
Width and weight
Wheat is the chain we carry in the most sizes. 1.1mm up to 6mm, and most of them go from 16 inches all the way to 36.
- 1.1 to 1.9mm, 2 to 5 grams. Thin. Pendant chain or layering chain. The 1.6, $18 to $37 depending on length, is where most people start.
- 2 to 2.6mm, 7 to 11 grams. Still slim but now you can see the braid. Good on its own every day.
- 3.4mm, 14 grams. A real chain. Takes a mid-size pendant.
- 4.5 to 6mm, 27 to 38 grams. Heavy. Alone, or under something big. The 6 also comes in 7 and 8 inch for a bracelet.
One thing worth knowing. The braid is dense, so wheat weighs more than rope at the same width. A 3.4 wheat is about what a 4mm rope weighs. If you're going by how it feels, pick a half size smaller than you would in rope.
Pendants
Good pendant chain. Round, strong, doesn't twist under the weight, bail slides over it fine. Anything 2mm and up holds a normal pendant. Heavy pendant, go 3.4 or more. There's a longer comparison here if you want it.
Finishes
Almost all of ours are plain sterling, and that suits it, the braid is the detail and a finish on top kind of muddies it. We do have a few in 10K yellow gold at 0.6 to 1mm. Those are solid gold, not plated, and the price reflects that.
Taking care of it
Easy. The braid doesn't kink. You can ball it up in a pocket and it comes out fine, which you can't say about most chains. Tarnish does get down between the strands over time. Silver cloth handles the outside. For the inside, warm water, a drop of dish soap, soft brush. Rinse and dry it all the way.
Who it's for
Most people, really. Men wear it at 3 to 6mm, women at 1.5 to 2.6, and the thin ones sit well under a cross or a solitaire. It's the one we point at when someone says they don't know what they want, they just want it to last.
Questions we get
Is wheat the same as spiga?
Yes. Same chain. Spiga is the Italian name, you see it on older or imported pieces.
Wheat or rope, which is stronger?
About the same, both near the top. Wheat is a little better against twisting because the braid is locked. Rope is a little better if a strand ever goes, because there's more of them. You'd wear either for years.
Does it tarnish?
It's sterling, so yes, eventually, same as all sterling. Wear it and it mostly stays bright. Leave it in a drawer and it dulls. Cloth brings it back.
What width for a pendant?
Light pendant, 1.6 to 2. Normal, 2.5 to 3.4. Big or heavy, 4.5 and up.
All of it's in the wheat collection. If you're stuck between this and rope, rope's here, and you'd be fine with either.