Medallion necklace guide: what it is, what size to choose and how to wear one

A medallion necklace is a pendant necklace built around a flat disc, usually round or oval, often with a symbol in relief. Ilene Joy makes 26 solid gold medallions in Small, Medium and Large, in 14K or 18K and in yellow, rose or white gold, from $473 in Small. Each can be seen on a chain before you order.

Medallion, charm or pendant

These words overlap, so here is how we use them.

In the Ilene Joy builder there are 26 medallions and 47 charms. They hang the same way, so you can wear one medallion alone, or put a medallion and a charm on the same chain.

Small, Medium or Large

Every medallion comes in three sizes, and the price rises with the size. These are 14K yellow gold prices as of 19 October 2026. They follow the daily gold rate.

Prices differ by piece because of the stones and the work in each one. Small is a quiet accent. Medium is the size that reads clearly across a room. Large is the focal point of the whole necklace.

You do not need millimetres to judge this. In the builder, tap the medallion on the chain and change its size. The picture changes beside the chain, and so does the total. For an exact measurement, write to the atelier at atelier@ilenejoy.com.

Which chain suits a medallion

A medallion has more surface than a charm, so the chain matters.

• A Small medallion. An oval or paperclip chain in Petite. The chain stays fine, and the disc is what you notice.
• A Medium or Large medallion. A circle, box or rolo chain in Standard. A bigger disc sits better against a chain with some presence.
• A medallion with other charms. Paperclip or oval in Standard gives you room to space them.

The six chains are compared in which chain is best for charms.

How to wear one

1. Alone. One medallion on a 20 inch chain is the simplest version, and it works with most necklines.
2. With a small charm. Put a Small charm to one side of a Medium medallion. Keep a clear run of chain between them.
3. Layered. Wear a short chain with a Small charm and a longer chain with the medallion. Leave a gap between the two so each is seen. The layering guide explains the lengths, and layering necklaces in solid gold covers sets.
4. Balance the outfit. A Large medallion reads best over plain fabric. A Small one can sit against a pattern.

For how the length sits on a neck, read how a necklace will look on you.

Choosing by meaning

People often choose a medallion for the symbol on it. Here are some of the 26, grouped by the plain word we use for each.

Read more in protection jewelry: which symbol to choose, symbols of strength in jewelry, and what a crescent moon and star charm means.

Build one and see it on

1. Open Design your own and choose Design a necklace.
2. Pick a chain, a link weight, a gold and a length.
3. Tap Choose your medallions and tap one. Drag it along the chain.
4. Change its size and gold, then look at the On model view.

The page calls the preview "a creative visualization, not an exact representation." We confirm every detail with you after you order. Open the necklace builder or the bracelet builder, or read the walk-through in how to design your own charm necklace. Each medallion is made to order at our Los Angeles bench in 2 to 4 weeks.

About Ilene Joy

Ilene Joy has designed jewelry since 1996. Ilene designed jewelry for the last three seasons of Sex and the City, as WWD reported in February 2019. She relaunched the label that year with her daughter, Rae Scheer, and Vogue covered the launch. Zoë Kravitz, Gigi and Bella Hadid, Jennifer Lawrence, Sienna Miller, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Taylor Swift, Emily Blunt, Emily Ratajkowski and Candice Swanepoel have worn Ilene Joy: see who wears Ilene Joy. Every design you build is made to order at our Los Angeles bench in 2 to 4 weeks. More on who Ilene Joy is and the press coverage.