Station necklaces: what are they, where did they come from, and how do you wear them?

Delicate, sprinkled with tiny gems or motif – the station necklace has an insouciance. It’s a relaxed style, one that doesn’t require a commitment to a look but that can be woven easily into your wardrobe.

Given its aura of relaxed luxury, it’s not surprising that the woman who created it was Italian model, designer and muse, Elsa Peretti – the woman who, through her partnership with Tiffany & Co. in the 1970s revolutionised the way women wore jewellery. Famous for her biomorphic cuffs, sensual pendants, and mesh earrings, she believed that women should be able to go out in their jewellery, arguing that “you can’t go out wearing $1 million”. 

However, Peretti still wanted to sneak some luxury into her designs so, as part of her first collection for Tiffany in 1974, she spaced out 12 tiny diamonds, set in gold bezels, at uneven lengths on a slim chain. Seeing it, her friend, and famed fashion designer, Halston, dubbed them Diamonds by the Yard and the name stuck. Despite the obvious witty elegance of this style of necklace, it fell out of favour; probably due to the lust for excess that engulfed the 1980s. However, the station necklace encountered an unusual revival in the form of a 1996 film about golf, starring Kevin Costner and Renee Russo, called Tin Cup where the film's protagonist falls in love with a woman who happens to have a style forward. Throughout the film, Russo sports a pearl station necklace, one where the nacreous beauties are strung with silk chord. The pared-back aesthetic Russo sports in the film spoke to a new generation of jewellery lovers and the station necklace was back in style.

Although they look beautiful on their own, station necklaces are the stack’s best friend. The delicate chain slots in perfectly with other styles, while the tiny gems or motifs bring instant interest; little flashes that catch the eye. This means station necklaces are great if you like wearing a stack comprising similar chains. If you’re a plain chain person, then a station necklace will bring sparkle; if you like motifs with meaning choose a station style adorned with our signature Pole Star symbol inspired by the night sky. We also have silver should you want to mix metals.