On March 15, 2026, Rose Byrne wore a sculptural gold torque at the 98th Academy Awards; WWD writer Stacia Datskovska later put the paperclip necklace into the same fall gold-chain conversation as an edgier, charm-ready option. The silhouette has a more complicated backstory than a desk drawer suggests. Johan Vaaler received German and U.S. patents in 1901, but the familiar Gem clip was produced in England around 1890. Norway's patent office says Vaaler was later miscredited as its inventor. The BBC calls Gem the common form, so I treat the jewelry as an echo of a useful shape, not a claim of single-inventor genius.

JCK distinguishes literal paperclip jewelry from the paperclip-link chain. That is the version I like: an open rectangle that reads as a line or hardware, depending on scale. Maison Margiela sold a paperclip-link necklace in its autumn/winter 2007 collection. I like this shape as a clear starting point, then let a charm or second metal change the mood.

For a quiet gold start, the 18-inch Devon Lightweight Paperclip Chain Necklace reads slim and polished. Mejuri's Paperclip Chain Charm Necklace already has a charm-ready clasp, while Catbird's 1976 Gold Chain keeps its rectangular links to 2 millimeters and adjusts from 20 to 22 inches. The Andi Slim Chain Necklace has a high-polish finish and adjusts from 17.25 to 19 inches; the plain 20-inch 14K chain is there if shorter links feel crowded against fall knits.

I would layer the longer chain with an open-collar shirt and leave a small pendant for another day. Before choosing, check the clasp, extension, and link width against a pendant loop you already own. If a chain needs a charm in the product photo to make sense, I would choose a cleaner outline.

A pendant changes where the eye lands, so I would let one motif do the talking and keep the chain itself clean. WWD's fall necklace story treats paperclip links as a natural base for charm personalization, which is exactly why the open shape works here: you see the chain and the little detail at once.

On the pale end of the color wheel, the Aquamarine Paperclip Chain Pendant pairs a small light-blue stone with 14K yellow gold. The Amethyst version puts a vivid purple bead-prong setting on the same delicate 16-inch outline. The bezel-set diamond solitaire is the least fussy focal point, while the Kate Diamond Heart Necklace leans into a pavé heart and toggle clasp. I would also look at the open diamond clover on the gold-vermeil chain, or the little pear-cut stone on the Asterales Petite Cubic Zirconia Pendant.

To layer, I would wear a small stone with a plain, shorter chain and keep the longer layer bare. The Roberto Coin daisy stations feel more like a repeating detail than a single pendant; the Ettika initial keeps personalization literal without adding a second motif. Before choosing, check that the pendant bail or jump ring can move over a link and that the toggle is easy to close, since those are details a photo cannot tell you.

What I would skip: a very small charm on the most substantial chain if the point is a delicate accent. Let scale agree before color.

Mixed metals look deliberate when a repeated shape does the linking. The 14K yellow-and-white-gold paperclip set is the clearest version, and the silver Devon chain can join in without introducing another shape. I like a two-metal necklace against a white tee under a dark cardigan, where both finishes read without competing with a print.

The history is less tidy than the form. The BBC traces paperclip myth-making to Norway: under Nazi occupation, paperclips were worn as a resistance symbol, a sign of unity rather than a tribute to Vaaler. The same report notes that the familiar Gem is the common paperclip design, while Vaaler's reputation for inventing it was assigned posthumously. That context is a reason not to claim the jewelry carries one fixed meaning. Here I am looking at finish and proportion.

For a fine silver line, Catbird's 1976 Silver Choker uses sterling links about 2 millimeters wide. Mejuri's recycled-sterling paperclip chain has an open charm loop, while the Donatello Gian silver necklace makes the links a more visible 3 millimeters with a lobster clasp. The bright, chunky silver-tone crystal chain adds another route, and a two-tone chain can echo the buckle on a bag already in rotation. Before choosing, compare the length to your usual neckline and check whether a spring ring or lobster clasp is manageable with cold fingers.

What I would skip: a gold-and-silver stack where the rest of the outfit already has mixed hardware everywhere. Pick one repeated finish and let the second metal be the accent.

Scale makes this group feel like jewelry with a little hardware in it. JCK points to a designer precedent: Maison Margiela sold a necklace made of paperclip links in its autumn/winter 2007 collection. That helps me read the oversized link as a design choice, not merely a larger version of the thin chain.

The 16-inch ARGENTO VIVO Chunky Paper Clip Chain has uneven, elongated links and a short extender, so I would pair it with a plain sweater or a crisp collar where the irregular outline has room. The Donatello Gian gold-plated chunky chain is 4 millimeters across over sterling silver, while Mejuri's Triple Link Paperclip Chain mixes three link scales in 14K gold. LANA's 14K option keeps the statement simpler; Roxanne Assoulin's Double Chain builds its silhouette by stacking two chains rather than enlarging one.

By Adina Eden's Large Paperclip Link Necklace is a gold-plated option with a lobster-claw clasp, and the Aurate New York chain sets the shape in yellow gold vermeil at 16 inches. I would compare these by silhouette first: one irregular chain, one triple link, or two rows. Test the clasp and extender, then hold the necklace over the knit or shirt you plan to wear most with it; a collar can make an 18-inch chain feel different from an open neckline.

What I would skip: a chunky chain plus a second large pendant when the open links are already the focal point. A plain collar lets the shape stay legible.

At the wrist, the link pattern becomes a smaller accent; at the ear, it turns into an outline. JCK notes the paperclip chain has been translated into bracelets and earrings as well as necklaces, so these are not just add-ons to the main necklace idea. I would decide whether I want one repeated shape in two places or just one bit of geometry.

Mejuri's Paperclip Chain Charm Bracelet has 13.1-millimeter links and a circular charm ring, while Catbird's 1976 Gold Bracelet stays fine at 2 millimeters. The 1976 Silver Bracelet gives the same narrow line in recycled sterling silver. For something more visible, the Devon Large Bracelet is 7 inches in 14K yellow gold, and the ARGENTO VIVO Chunky bracelet adds an extender to its 7-inch plated chain.

At the ear, elongated two-tone hoops echo the link shape without adding a chain at the neck. Brook & York's Gold Vermeil Paperclip Hoops are under an inch, a tidy option beside a wider cuff or bracelet. I would keep the metals related but not match every surface exactly; a silver hoop can pick up a silver watch or a ring in the stack. Check the hinge or post closure on the hoop and the bracelet measurement with clasp included before choosing a snug fit.

I would decide in this order: choose whether the chain is the main event or a base for one charm, settle the link scale, then check length and closure against the layers I actually reach for in October. The slim gold chain feels easy as a first move; a silver or two-tone version makes sense if the rest of my jewelry already crosses metals; the triple-link shape can take a simple neckline by itself.

It is funny that a shape with this much disputed office history has become so adaptable in jewelry. I would start with one clear outline, let a pendant earn its place, and leave the rest of the desk tidy.