Those broken-heart best friend necklaces included, any jewellery that celebrates friendship seems to come with a kitschy reputation. Also featuring in said category: those friendship bracelets we spent our teen years tying onto our wrists and chunky, childhood friendship rings.
You may have moved on from the aesthetic, but the sentiment of cementing a bond with a friendship necklace still remains strong. Why wouldn't you want to shout about a brilliant friend or treat a pal who has been there for you during tough times? Exactly. Luckily, our childhood favourite best friend necklaces have had a seriously grown-up glow-up for the new season courtesy of Kendall Jenner and Bella Hadid-approved Monica Vinader, tarnish-free and Instagram-adored jewellery brand Hey Harper and Kate Hudson's favourite LA-based jeweler Jennifer Meyer.
Today, best friend necklaces come in 18ct gold vermeil or sterling silver, instead of the more dubious designs we picked up back in the day. There are even scatterings of diamonds or precious gems adorning these pendants for those really deserving friends.
BFF NecklaceSize: Length 45cm or 55cm, Extender 5cm
Materials: Stainless Steel; Coating: 14k Golden Color PVD
Sterling Silver And Crystal NecklaceSize: Width 1.4cm
Materials: Sterling Silver And White Pavé Zirconia
Mini Heart 18-Karat Gold NecklaceSize: Pendant length 20cm
Materials: 18-karat gold
For galentines gifts, or just because, hearts are an understandably iconic choice. Whether teeny, tiny tokens that you can buy two of, or interlinking designs that focus on knots and twists, we're pleased to see that there is more choice that just the broken heart design. It's a classic for a reason, but we do love options.
Valentines Necklace With Broken Heart PendantSize: 56cm long plus extender chain: 5cm
Materials: 70% Brass, 15% Steel, 15% Zinc
Togetherness Chain NecklaceSize: 38-43cm
Materials: 100% Recycled 18ct Gold Vermeil And Solid Sterling Silver
Knot Of Friendship Sterling Circle NecklaceSize: 40cm plus 3.5cm extender
Materials: Solid Sterling Silver
Customisation: Available
One of the best updated best friend necklaces we've seen is Monica Vinader's cult Togetherness design. Utilising recycled gold also makes it a sustainable choice and, if you're wondering, gold vermeil is a process that layers on five times more gold than standard gold plating for a really thick finish. The resulting texture is satin-soft and smooth, making for a super-comfortable feeling against your skin.
BFF Heart Necklace SetSize: 41-46cm
Materials: Silver Plated
Customization: Available
Two-Strand Beaded NecklaceMaterials: Polymethyl Methacrylate 90%, Steel 10%
Multi Charm NecklaceSize: 16-18inches
Materials: 18k Gold Plated Stainless Steel
Customization: Available
What happens if you have more than one best friend? A multi-charm necklace, like this gold plated necklace from Abbott Lyon, allows you to gift a charm pendant to a two friends. Or you could opt for a budget version, like ASOS's broken heart necklace, and buy several, sharing them out among for your whole girl gang.
Harris Reed In Good Hands Pearl NecklaceSize: 450mm With Extensions From 410mm to 450mm
Materials: Silver Plated or 18ct Gold Plated
Little Sky Stone BFF NecklaceSize: 15mm x 8mm with 18" chains
Materials: Mother of Pearl; 14K Gold Plated Sterling Silver
Friendship Necklace SilverSize: 16mm x 9mm
Materials: Sterling Silver
Friendship bracelets are back and they're perfect for Galentine's Day – these are the ones we're buyingGallery13 PhotosLayered necklaces - the kind that come in a set of two - are also a clever idea to share with your friends and follow the ‘one for you, one for me’ methodology. Although current high-fashion jewellery trends are all about big, bold, statement designs, the most enduring best friend necklaces are more timeless. Delicate chains, pearls and smaller gem stones take centre stage in the prettiest designs, which make them all the likely to last forever, just like your friendship. Awwww.
Personalised Necklace Layering SetSize: Chain 1 = 40.5cm and extends 45.5cm; Chain 2 = 43.5cm and extends to 48.5cm
Materials: 18K Gold Plated, Recycled Sterling Silver
Customization: Available
Pearlescent Stacking SetMaterials: 18k Gold Plated Brass, Freshwater Pearls
Heart Enamel Pendant NecklaceSize: Chain = 16-18inches
Materials: Gold Vermeil, Pink Enamel, Tsavorite
If these best friend necklaces have inspired you to make a matching set with your BFF, we've also found the best friendship bracelets and for more ideas for BFF gifts, check out our guides to the best Galentine's Day gifts. If you're shopping for a significant other, we found 51 gifts for girlfriends that are bound to impress plus check out the Valentines Day gifts the GLAMOUR editors are all dropping hints for…
Read more from Glamour UK Fashion Director at large Alex Fullerton here or follow her on Instagram @alexandrafullerton
61 best Valentine's Day gifts for her 2024 for every budgetGallery60 PhotosncG1vNJzZmivp6x7qLjApqauqp2WtKLGyKecZ5ufY8Kse8Crq6KbnJp8o7HSrWSfqpmau6V5zZ6apKSRmLK0