Bar Necklace Meaning, Popular Styles & How To Wear It Right

You’ve probably noticed the many elegant and classy women sporting bar necklaces to a variety of occasions - from a casual coffee to red carpet affairs. How could one piece of jewelry be so versatile? The truth is, a bar necklace holds a special meaning for each person that wears one. 

It can commemorate a special date, anniversary, occasion, or it can simply be an elegant piece of jewelry to layer with other pieces. Below, we cover everything you need to know about a bar necklace meaning, the different styles, ways to customize your bar necklace, and more. 

Let’s get right into it...

Bar Necklace Meaning

How does the shape affect a bar necklace’s meaning?

The shape doesn’t necessarily signify anything unless you give it a meaning. Most people link the necklace’s meaning to the message that’s engraved on the bar rather than the shape. 

Still, the shape can contain a specific sentimental meaning for a loved one or signify a personal message. However, the meaning attached to your bar necklace is personal. It can commemorate an anniversary, birthday, or some other special event in your life. 

Do bar necklaces all have a special meaning or is it usually just a piece of jewelry? 

Bar necklaces can have different meanings for every wearer. While some simply put names and initials on their necklaces, others opt to customize their necklace’s meaning for a special time or event. For example, some people wear a horizontal cross to represent the earth and humanity. Others customize a special platinum bar necklace for their 10-year anniversary. 

What is a bar necklace?

Bar necklaces usually refer to any necklace that has a bar attached to a chain. They can come in many colors, styles and can be made from different metals. The bar can also be horizontal or even straight up and down. They also come in 3D models, curved bar necklaces, double bars, or even flat metal bards which are a little more delicate. 

How do people usually wear bar necklaces?

You can wear a bar necklace in many different ways, and they are almost all suitable for both casual and formal events. However, it’s most popularly worn as either a classic bar necklace, a color bar necklace, an engraved necklace, or a bejeweled necklace. 

When it comes to pairing your necklace with other jewelry or outfits, the type of metal and gemstones is what you want to think about. For example, pairing a gold and diamond bar necklace with other gold and diamond jewelry. 

Bar Necklace Shapes & Styles

Curved Bar

This style curves upward at both ends and is sometimes longer than traditional bar necklaces. Curved bars are versatile and can be just as lovely when uncustomized as they are when engraved. They are available in different metals and are ideal for engraving longer names, full messages, and more. 

Engraved Bar

With an engraved bar necklace, the options are endless — you can put your name down or even have secret location coordinates engraved. You can truly engrave anything you want, from dates, messages, and more. In addition, it can be in any style you want so you can get really creative with it.   

Gem-aligned or Jeweled Bar

A white bar necklace is a perfect canvas to adorn with gemstones since its simple design will highlight the elegance and color of a stone. You can either add an accent stone or have the whole bar lined with gems.

Horizontal or Vertical Bar

Going with a classic bar necklace is always a good choice, and you can give it a horizontal or vertical orientation. You can get them customized by choosing the type of metal along with other options such as 3D or double bars.  

Stacked Pendants

Stacked pendants refer to multiple pendants that are placed on top of each other in order to make one whole piece. This is usually done with the same kind of bar or in different patterns using different colors or materials. 

Straight bar

Any gold or silver necklace that has a flat, horizontal, and straight bar can be made into your very own work of art by customizing it with whatever you want. Straight bars also look great just the way they are.

Why Get a Bar Necklace?

Fashion Versatility

Bar necklaces are so simple in their bare form, they’re like chameleons, and can be made to go with any outfit or jewelry - from casual to black tie. 

Meaning

Bar necklaces allow such a high degree of sentimentality that no other kind of jewelry can provide. When you wear a customized bar pendant, you don’t just think about how great the piece looks, but also the cherished memories it holds. 

Minimalistic Design

There is nothing more stunning than an elegant piece of jewelry — and this is exactly what a bar necklace brings to the table. Their minimalist design brings out the beauty in the simplest of things, such as the artistry of the pendant and the brilliance of the metal it was made from. 

Personalizable

By nature, bar necklaces are highly customizable, since the empty space allows you to place engravings, messages, symbols, and even gemstones. This versatility makes them a favorite gift for anniversaries and milestones. Whether a 50th wedding anniversary, a birthday, or a graduation, you can’t go wrong with a personalized bar necklace. 

Variety of Options

Bar necklaces come in many shapes and styles. They also come in almost any metal you can think of, from platinum to silver and gold plated. This means you can find a unique bar necklace for an affordable price (under $50) or go as high-end as you want. And as mentioned, it can be customized in virtually any way you can dream up. 

Can be easily layered with other Jewelry

Yet another advantage to the simplicity of a bar necklace’s design is its ability to be layered. When kept in its minimal state, it can serve as a backdrop for other pieces of jewelry. The bar necklace can be layered with so many other necklace styles, lengths, and materials that the options are almost endless. 

Bar Necklace Customization

Charms

Charms are a popular addition to bar necklaces — it can be as simple as a second bar, or you can tap into your creative juices and add personalized pieces to your necklace. 

Some of the most popular examples include animal-shaped charms and small, metallic charms. You can also purchase a bar necklace with charms already attached to it. Adding shaped charms, gemstone charms, and even charms made from your initials to your bar necklace are all great ways to further customize your necklace.   

Color/Tone

Bar necklaces come in different tones and colors— you can choose from white gold, yellow gold, and even rose gold. You can also get them in other metals such as silver, stainless steel, and more.

Engravings

These days, engraved necklaces are more than a trend — they're here to stay. Also, there's nothing better to engrave than bar necklaces. Your engraving options are limitless— you can put anything from names, dates, and coordinates to pretty much anything else you can think of!

Gemstones

There are plenty of different and beautiful gemstones that you can add to bar necklaces including:  

• Diamonds
• Emerald
• Sapphire
• Aquamarine
• Amethyst
• Ruby
• Garnet
• Peridot
• Topaz
• Tourmaline

Shape

Your bar necklace can come in many shapes, and there are many options that you can choose from. The most popular, however, is the straight bar. Other examples include curved bars that are slightly raised on both sides, and provide a unique look. Even so, you can still customize them in any way that you want. Other good looking shapes are double-bar and 3D bar necklaces. 

Orientation

Bar necklaces are commonly found in two orientations— horizontal and vertical. The horizontal ones are the most classic choice, but many wearers have also come to love vertical bars because of their unique look.  

Popular Bar Necklace Designs

Bar Necklace with Charms                            

You can always purchase a bar necklace that comes with pre-attached charms in case you don’t have your own. Some of the most popular options for charms include gemstone charms, shaped charms, and even charms that spell out your initials.

Bar Necklace with Gemstones

Bar necklaces are simply gorgeous on their own but are also perfect for customizations. You can choose to add one gemstone to represent your birthstone, or you can add a whole row of stones. 

Diamonds are currently the most popular gemstone to add to bar necklaces. Whether you use one large piece or many little pieces, gemstones add a touch of style and class to your necklace. 

Classic Bar Necklace

Classics are always beautiful, and the bar necklace is no exception. These either come in horizontal or vertical orientations, and most jewelers will let you decide on its customization.

Curved Bar Necklace

As mentioned, the curved bar necklace curves upward on both sides and are longer than traditional bar necklaces. They are ideal for engraving long names, full messages, and more. They’re also available in many metals and are lovely to look at, even without engravings. 

Double Bar Necklace

Multi and double-bar necklaces are also popular because they come with so many options — you can add names, dates, messages, and more. They are also perfect for utilizing other stylish features, such as a birthstone or other gemstones. 

Engraved Bar Necklace

You can pretty much get anything engraved on a bar necklace, and there are plenty of ways to get creative with it. One cool idea is to have important dates written in roman numerals.  

Personalized Bar Necklace Shapes

Bar necklaces aren’t limited to the straight bar shape. You can choose from having gemstones aligned, having a horizontal cross, a wider bar, and even a diagonal bar. Like we’ve said, if you can imagine it, you can likely find a bar necklace like it. 

3D Bar Necklace

Finally, bar necklaces can come in 3D to add more depth and dimensions to your jewelry. You can also add multiple engravings on each side, making it even more special. This kind of bar necklace stands out because it has four sides and can come in different metals and colors.

If you're looking for a bar necklace, you'll be in for a treat at Lexie Jordan Fine Jewelry. The cross bar necklace you see at the top of the post can be found here and the sophisticated white gold and diamond bar necklace can be found here. Our personalized, hand-crafted pieces are one-of-a-kind and are made from the finest materials. Cheryl Roberts, our designer, takes pride in personally selecting the resource materials and minerals for all of our jewelry. Check out our collection of necklaces or get in touch if you want to ask about custom-made pieces!