Disclosure:The example pieces in this guide are from Ronatelli. The buying advice applies to any brand. Prices, product details, and policies were checked on ronatelli.com on October 30, 2026.
A pendant is one of the most personal pieces of jewelry you can give a man. A chain or a bracelet is mostly a question of size; a pendant puts a symbol on his chest, and he will wear it only if it is one he would have chosen himself. It also adds two practical checks: many pendants come without a chain, so it has to fit on his, and it hangs lower than a bare chain, so the length changes. This guide covers when a pendant is the right gift, how to choose the symbol, the chain and the length, and what to keep in case it’s wrong, with examples from one brand’s eight pendants.
Key takeaways
- Give a pendant only when the symbol is already his: he wears one, has pointed one out, or shares the faith it stands for. Otherwise, give a plain chain first.
- Match what he wears: a cross for a man who wears a cross, in a similar style and size; a trident or a tiger only if it ties to something he already loves.
- Check the clasp end, not just the chain: the chain goes through the bail, clasp end first, and that end is usually the widest part. Ronatelli lists a fit of chains up to 6 mm for all eight of its pendants.
- Go one size longer: a pendant hangs 1″ to 2″ below the chain and needs the room. If you are buying both and can’t measure, 24″ is the safe length.
- Keep it returnable: with Ronatelli you have 30 days from delivery to request a return, unworn and with the tags and packaging. For Christmas, order by December 4.
In this guide When to give one The symbol His chain Length Size Timing and returns FAQ
When a pendant is the right gift
Our holiday gift guide and our guide to jewelry for a man who doesn’t wear any both say to skip a pendant with a meaning he didn’t choose, and that still holds. A cross, a trident, or a tiger tells people something about the man wearing it. If you pick the symbol for him, you choose what it says, and he may not want to say it. So the question is not whether a pendant makes a good gift, but whether you already know which one is his. You usually do in one of four situations:
- He already wears a pendant. You are replacing a lost one, upgrading a cheap one, or giving one in the same spirit for a second chain.
- He has pointed one out. In a store, on a friend, or in a link he sent you; that is as good as asking.
- It marks his faith. A cross for a man who practices, or for a moment such as a confirmation or a baptism. The faith has to be his, not only yours.
- The motif already belongs to him. It ties to something he does or loves, such as the sea, the outdoors, or his sign in the Chinese zodiac.
If none of these fits, give a plain chain and let him choose the pendant later; our guide to buying a chain as a gift covers the length and width. A new relationship is another reason to wait: our gift guide for a boyfriend suggests leaving the pendant off, because a pendant chosen for him says more than the chain does.
Gift buyers who reviewed one were happy with it. Thirteen of the 238 reviews of Ronatelli’s pendants come from people buying for someone else (a husband, a partner, a boyfriend, a son, a brother), eight of them saying outright that it was a gift, and all 13 give five stars. The only complaints were practical: a delivery slower than promised for an anniversary, a parcel sent to the wrong address, a chain he still needed, and a size chosen without measurements. The checks below and the section on timing cover them.
Choose the symbol he would choose
Start with what he already wears. If he wears a pendant now, give the same kind of symbol in a similar style and size, not a bolder version of it. A man who wears a small plain cross may not want a large crucifix, and a man who keeps his pendant under his shirt may not want one big enough to show.
With no pendant to go by, match the motif to something he already is or does. Our examples are the eight pendants Ronatelli sells, from $99 to $199:
| Motif | Give it if he | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Cross or crucifix | Give it if heShares the faith and already wears a cross, or is marking a confirmation or a baptism | ExampleCervia or Norcia eagle cross, Cascia crucifix, Ravenna cross sword |
| Trident | Give it if heLoves the sea or Greek myth, where it is the trident of the sea god Poseidon. In Hinduism it is the trishula, carried by Shiva | ExamplePoseidon |
| Arrowhead | Give it if heSpends his free time outdoors, or hunts or shoots a bow | ExampleLyon, two sizes |
| Tiger | Give it if heWas born in a Year of the Tiger, or the tiger already means something to him | ExampleAnzio |
| Joker | Give it if hePlays cards, or has a sense of humor about himself | ExampleFabro, two sizes |
The cross needs the most care. As our guide to symbols on men’s bracelets says, whatever surrounds a cross, most people read it as a statement of faith, so give one only when the faith is his. If he already wears one, look at it before you buy: a crucifix carries the figure of Christ and a plain cross doesn’t, and a decorated cross, with an eagle or in the shape of a sword, adds a second symbol to the first. Our guide to cross necklaces for men covers the difference and which churches use each.
Two smaller points. Recent Years of the Tiger include 1962, 1974, 1986, 1998, and 2010, but each starts at Lunar New Year, between late January and mid-February, so check a birthday in those weeks against the exact dates. And words count as a symbol too: read any engraving before you buy, because he will be wearing it. The Ravenna, for example, has “The Treasures Heart” engraved into the silver.
His chain: check the clasp end
Many pendants are sold without a chain, Ronatelli’s included: each of its pendant pages says the chain is sold separately. Plan for that from the start: one parent who gave a son the Anzio tiger wrote afterwards that he still needed a chain. That leaves two ways to give it.
On the chain he already wears. The bail, the loop at the top of the pendant, has to pass over his chain, and you thread the chain through it clasp end first. That end is the hard part: the clasp, the ring it hooks into, and any end cap or tag are usually wider than the links. When we read the reviews of Ronatelli’s four most-reviewed chains, three of the four buyers whose pendant wouldn’t go on blamed the clasp end, not the chain. Ronatelli lists the same fit for all eight of its pendants, chains up to 6 mm, but gives no measurement for the bail itself.
So measure his chain without asking him, while he is out or in the shower: lay a ruler across the widest part of the clasp end, which is usually the clasp or the end cap beside it. If it is close to 6 mm or wider, ask the seller for the inside size of the bail before you buy. Two of the 238 pendant reviews say the bail was too small for the buyer’s own chain, one of them 6.5 mm wide. A buyer who got the Cervia for a son with a thick chain had the opposite experience: “With the 6mm loop the chain went in with no issues. That was my biggest concern.”
Don’t force a bail open with pliers, which can mark or weaken it. A jeweler can fit a larger one, but Ronatelli’s lifetime warranty doesn’t cover damage from repairs or alterations by anyone other than Ronatelli-certified technicians, so it is better to get the fit right before you buy.
With a new chain. If he doesn’t wear a chain, or you can’t check his, give one with the pendant. Our guide to the best chain for a pendant matches the chain to the pendant’s weight: Ronatelli’s pendants weigh 12.3 to 25 g where a weight is listed, which puts each of them on a 4 mm chain in a dense weave, such as the Sergo foxtail ($279 on sale, down from $329) or the Monza rope ($249 on sale, down from $399; 24″ and 26″ only). A pendant and one of those chains came to $348 to $478 when we checked. Put the pendant on the chain the day both arrive, while you can still return them.
Length: one size longer than his usual chain
A pendant hangs below the chain, so it ends up 1″ to 2″ lower than the chain itself, as our chain length guide shows, and it needs the room. Ronatelli’s size guide suggests the same in short: for a pendant, go one size longer than he would wear a plain chain. Men’s chains come in 2″ steps:
| His usual length | With a pendant |
|---|---|
| 20″ | With a pendant22″ |
| 22″ | With a pendant24″ |
| 24″ | With a pendant26″, which Ronatelli’s guide suggests for pendants |
| Not sure | With a pendant24″ |
If the pendant is going on his own chain, there is no length to choose, but look at where that chain sits. On a 20″ chain, which sits close to the neck, a pendant that looks large in the worn photos will crowd his collar; it may suit a longer chain better.
Size and weight when there are no measurements
Ronatelli publishes no height or width for any of its pendants, only a weight for six of the eight, from 12.3 g for the Norcia to 25 g for the Cascia, and its FAQ says listed weights can vary by about 5 g either way. The worn photos, on a man in a black T-shirt, are the best guide to scale. Reviewers who mention size mostly find it right, and the rest find theirs large or larger than they expected: of 20 who mention it, 11 call it right, 9 call it large, and none call it small.
A big pendant suits a big man. A 6′5″ reviewer found the Norcia larger than he expected and better for his size, though the Norcia has the lowest listed weight, so weight is only a rough guide to size. On a slim man or a teenager, choose a smaller one: a parent who bought the Cascia, the heaviest listed weight at 25 g, for a 19-year-old son called it “a bit heavy.”
Two pendants come in two sizes with no measurements for either: the Lyon (small $99, large $149) and the Fabro (small $99, medium $149). One of the Lyon’s photos shows both sizes side by side. Otherwise, go by his build and where he will wear it: the smaller under a shirt or on a slim frame, the larger over a T-shirt on a broad one. One gift buyer chose the small Fabro, thinking the medium would be too big, and wasn’t sure it was the right call. Ronatelli’s refund policy says the fastest way to change a size is a return and a new order, so decide before you buy.
Timing, delivery, and returns
Ronatelli ships free with tracking, from a warehouse in your country or one overseas, and it doesn’t say which before you order. Its shipping policy quotes one to two business days to process an order and four to seven to deliver it from overseas; its FAQ says 7 to 15 working days, which is closer to what reviewers report. For Christmas 2026, order by Friday, December 4, the date our holiday gift guide gives for anything that ships from overseas. For a birthday or an anniversary, order early too: one buyer whose anniversary gift arrived late advised ordering “a month ahead.”
Check the shipping address before you pay, especially if it is going straight to him: Ronatelli can change an order only until it ships. One gift buyer’s pendant went to the buyer’s own address instead of the recipient’s, and it cost extra to send it on. Our guide to giving him jewelry covers where to have it delivered, how to wrap it, and the first fitting.
If it’s wrong, you have 30 days from delivery to request a return, and the piece has to be unworn, with its tags and original packaging; the return postage is yours. For a different pendant or size, Ronatelli’s refund policy says the fastest route is a return and a new order. So give it with the tags on, keep the box, and let him try it on his chain before anything comes off.
FAQ
Is a pendant a good gift for a man?
Yes, when the symbol is one he would choose: he already wears a pendant, has pointed one out, or shares the faith it stands for. If you are guessing, give a plain chain and let him add a pendant later.
Do pendants come with a chain?
Often not. Ronatelli’s don’t; each pendant page says the chain is sold separately. Check that the chain he wears fits through the bail, clasp end included, or give a chain with it.
How do I know if a pendant will fit his chain?
Measure the widest part of his chain’s clasp end, because the chain goes through the bail that end first, and compare it with the fit the listing gives. Ronatelli lists chains up to 6 mm for all eight of its pendants. If his clasp end is close to that or wider, ask the seller for the inside size of the bail.
What length chain should I buy for a pendant?
One size longer than he wears without one, because the pendant hangs 1″ to 2″ below the chain and needs the room: 22″ if he wears 20″, 24″ if he wears 22″. If you don’t know his length, 24″.
Can I give a cross necklace if I’m not sure of his faith?
Better not. Most people read a cross as a statement of faith, so give one when the faith is his. For a man who already wears a cross, match the kind he wears: a plain cross, a crucifix, or a decorated cross.
What if he doesn’t like it?
Keep it returnable. With Ronatelli you have 30 days from delivery to request a return, unworn and with the tags and original packaging; the return postage is yours, and for a different pendant its refund policy says the fastest route is a return and a new order.
Bottom line
Give a pendant when you know the symbol is his: he wears one, has pointed one out, or shares the faith. Then check the two things a chain gift doesn’t ask: that his chain, clasp end first, fits through the bail, and that the chain is one size longer than he wears it bare, or 24″ if you are buying both. If you are guessing at the symbol, give the chain now and let him choose the pendant.
From the collection
Men’s sterling silver pendants by Ronatelli
Eight handmade 925 pendants, $99 to $199. Each fits chains up to 6 mm; the chain is sold separately.
Related guides
Prices, the 6 mm fit, weights, the size guide, and the shipping, return, and warranty terms were read from ronatelli.com on October 30, 2026, and may have changed since. The gift, size, and fit details come from the 238 reviews the Reviews.io feed returned for Ronatelli’s eight pendants; 13 come from people buying for someone else, eight of them saying outright that it was a gift. The clasp-end findings come from our reading of the reviews of Ronatelli’s four most-reviewed chains. Weights are the ones in each pendant’s search listing. Tiger years follow China Highlights’ table of Chinese zodiac years, and the trident’s meanings follow Wikipedia. Read our editorial policy.
