How to Wear the Shell Necklace Trend for Summer 2025

When it comes to summer jewellery trends, shell necklaces aren’t exactly a novel concept. But now, more than ever, they feel unexpectedly modern and undeniably delightful. Whether in the form of an oversized pendant or a chunky beaded necklace, these aren’t your pukka shells from the year 2000. No, no—we’ve come a long way since then.

It may come as no surprise that this beach-inspired staple has returned to the limelight. Given the resurgence of the boho aesthetic (also beloved in the early aughts) and the updated take on mermaidcore, incorporating pretty, mesmerising motifs like shells feels like a natural next step in the trend cycle. Of course, like any trend revival, it’s received a modern update. This time around, rather than looking like a souvenir from your last vacation, seashell necklaces feel refreshingly sophisticated.

The Must-Have Shell Necklaces

Casually Elegant: Petit Moments Simone Necklace
A Chic Cord Pendant: Hart Striped Scallop Shell Cord Necklace
Beach-Ready Pop of Pink: 8 Other Reasons Beaded Shell Necklace
Elevated Puka Shell: Éliou Cove Necklace
Editor-Loved: Juju Vera Petra Choker
Playful and Eye-Catching: Julietta Mykonos Choker

Lately, it seems that every fashion-forward girl on my feed is wearing a shell necklace—particularly in the form of a statement pendant like the heritage-worthy Petra Choker by Juju Vera or Julietta’s striking Mykonos Choker. And when ELLE’s fashion and market director, Alexis Wolfe, started wearing a Dezso by Sara Beltrán piece around the office, I was entranced. Consider me influenced: Those necklaces now live rent-free in my mind. The only cure? Scour the market to see what else the jewellery world has to offer—and now, I’m sharing my findings with you.

Dale Arden Chong
Senior Fashion Commerce Editor
Dale Arden Chong is the Senior Fashion Commerce Editor at ELLE.com, where she edits and reports on the latest trends, labels, and designers in the fashion space to bring you the best items that will elevate your wardrobe. With a passion for great sartorial stories and getting dressed (as well as a knack for nerding out over the details), she has a robust knowledge of high-quality design, construction, and materials based on testing hundreds of products over her eight-plus years in the industry, writing stories for Glamour, Who What Wear, Entertainment Tonight, and others. So, if you ask her for a shopping recommendation, she'll give you five picks plus her honest, unfiltered opinions. Dale graduated magna cum laude from the University of Southern California's Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism with a degree in Journalism and a minor in Communication Design. In 2015, she was a finalist for the National Arts and Entertainment Journalism Award in the Online category of “Commentary/Analysis/Trend” for her article “Calvin Klein Underwear: What Is Plus Size?” Outside of the style world, her hobbies include cooking, playing tennis, ceramics, and watching BTS dance videos on YouTube, among other things. Follow her on Instagram at @dalearden.