Necklace

-A necklace is an article of clothing or jewelry; which is worn around the neck. Necklaces are frequently formed from a metal chain; often attached to a locket or pendant. Necklaces can also be manufactured with cloth, and they sometimes contain rocks (particularly gems), wood, and/or shells.

A necklace worn high on the neck is a choker.

Many Christians wear a cross or crucifix which differs in shape, size, material and color. Others wear the cross merely out of decoration and may not be Christian.


A pendant (from Old French) is a hanging object, generally attached to a necklace or an earring. In modern French this is an usual word meaning “during” (but also the gerund form of "hanging").
Necklace

Pendants

Pendants have several purposes:

ornamentation
identification (i.e. religious symbols, sexual symbols, symbols of rock bands)
protection (i.e. amulets, religious symbols)
self-affirmation (i.e. initials, names)
ostentation (i.e. jewels).
These purposes can be combined (i.e. a richly jewelled symbol).

The word should not be confused with "pennant".



Pendants