The Summer Jewelry Trend That’s Striking a Cord With the Fashion Set

By Annie Davidson Watson | July 01, 2025

The fashion girl’s go-to jewel of the summer is here: a cord necklace that suspends a single pendant, often organic in shape and reminiscent of a found object or talisman.

Seen in spring and summer runway shows by labels like Tom Ford, Proenza Schouler, and Gabriela Hearst, this season’s cord necklace seems fresh yet familiar, taking cues from ’90s jewels.

Designers are favoring fluid forms and tactile materials for a lived-in feel. The look is unfussy and stripped-back: a simple cord of leather, silk, or fabric, holding a pendant such as a polished slice of onyx, an enameled metal design, or a piece with natural imperfections.

Worn low on the décolletage or tied high at the collarbone, these necklaces bring a sense of ease and individuality to otherwise precise tailoring and breezy summer silhouettes.

What’s key this season is how cord necklaces bridge the gap between jewelry and styling detail. On the runway, they’ve been layered over linen suiting, slinky slip dresses, and barely-there knits, adding subtle texture without competing with the clothes. The effect is effortless but intentional, jewelry that feels collected rather than curated.

These cord necklaces offer a refined way to nod to the artisanal—exactly the kind of understated luxury that defines the mood of summer dressing. Below are a few of our top picks in this style.