How to choose a silver cat necklace: all five of our cats, side by side
Five silver cats, from a 1 cm pendant to a cat asleep on a branch: what each one is, the card it comes with, who it suits, and how to choose between silver and gold-plated. From ARKH, Melbourne.
ARKH · 2 November 2026 · 6 min read
Cat jewellery is one of the easiest things to give and one of the easiest to get wrong. The shops are full of cats in base metal that turn skin green within a month, or in silver so thin that the first catch of a jumper bends it. None of that shows in a photograph. This guide does two jobs: it lays out every cat we make, so you can compare them, and it gives you the short list of what to check on any silver cat, ours or anyone else’s.
Start with the metal
Look for “925” or “sterling” stamped on the piece or stated plainly on the page. Sterling silver is 92.5% silver, mixed with a little of another metal, usually copper, so it is strong enough to wear. Pure silver is too soft for jewellery. If a listing does not say what it is made of, assume it is not silver.
A stamp on its own is not proof, because stamps can be faked, so buy from someone who states the material on the page and stands behind it. Every piece in our animal range is 925 sterling silver, and we hallmark every piece we sell. Our guide to telling real 925 silver from plated metal has the checks in full.
Meet the five cats
They differ in size, shape and the card that comes with them. Here they are one by one.
1. The Cat Pendant
The smallest and the most wearable: a little cat with its arms stretched out, about 1 cm by 1.5 cm, on an adjustable chain of 41 to 46 cm that you can buy with or without. It comes in silver, with a darkened, oxidised finish, or gold-plated. Two cards, “I’m not lazy, I just rest” and “You are purrfect!”. This is the one to give when you do not know her style, because it suits almost everyone. See the Cat Pendant.
2. The Cat Earrings
The same cat, in a pair, on hooks, each about 1 cm by 1.5 cm. Silver or gold-plated, and with either card. They suit someone who never wears a necklace, or who already owns the pendant and would like the set. See the Cat Earrings.
3. The Cat on Branch Necklace
The statement cat: a long, striped cat stretched along a branch, with its tail curling below, hung on an 18 inch chain. Its card reads “I’m not lazy, I just rest”. It shows more than the small pendant does, so it is the better choice for someone who likes a piece to be noticed. See the Cat on Branch Necklace.
4. The Cat Pendant Necklace, in a party hat
A cat’s face with whiskers, wearing a striped party hat, on an adjustable chain of 41 to 46 cm. The card reads “Happy Birthday: wishing you a purrfect birthday!”, so this is the cat for a birthday. If the birthday is soon, it is the quickest choice you will make. See the Cat Pendant Necklace.
5. The Cat Charm Pendant
A cat’s head, cut out of a round purple disc: the one with colour. Its card reads “All you need is love and a CAT”, and the chain is adjustable, 41 to 46 cm. It is the choice for someone who wears a little colour, and for anyone who would say the card about themselves. See the Cat Charm Pendant.
Silver or gold-plated
The Cat Pendant and the Cat Earrings come in both. Both start as sterling silver. Gold-plated means a thin layer of gold over the silver, which looks warmer and suits some skin tones better, but the layer is thin and will wear with time, especially where it rubs on clothing. Plain silver has no layer to wear off; it can only tarnish, and tarnish wipes away. If she will wear it every day, plain silver is the lower-maintenance choice.
Which cat for whom
- For someone who wears one small, quiet necklace every day: the Cat Pendant.
- For someone who never wears a necklace: the Cat Earrings.
- For someone who likes a piece to be noticed: the Cat on Branch Necklace.
- For a birthday: the Cat Pendant Necklace, in its party hat.
- For someone who loves colour, or says she would give up anything for her cat: the Cat Charm Pendant.
All five
If it is a gift, choose the card first
A cat necklace works best for someone whose cat is part of how she describes herself, so the words matter as much as the metal. Each of our pieces arrives in a small glass bottle with a card. The Cat Pendant’s card is one of two: one for someone sweet, one for someone who has earned her afternoon sleep.
Pick the card before you pick anything else. It is the part she will read twice.
Keeping it bright
- Take it off for swimming, showers and cleaning. Chlorine and bleach attack silver.
- Put it on after perfume and lotion, not before.
- Wipe it with a soft dry cloth after wearing. Most tarnish is a film of sulphur from the air and your skin, and it wipes away.
- Store it in its bottle or a small bag, away from other pieces so they do not scratch each other.
Questions people ask
Is a silver cat necklace suitable for sensitive skin?
Our pages describe every piece as hypoallergenic, suiting most skin, including sensitive skin. Skin differs from person to person, so if she has reacted to jewellery before, start with the silver rather than the gold-plated.
Will it tarnish?
In time silver softens in colour. It is a quality of the metal itself, and one of the ways you can tell it is genuine. A soft cloth brings the brightness back whenever you like.
Can she wear it every day?
Yes, in silver. Take it off for the shower, the pool and the dishes. The gold-plated finish is gentler to look at but wears faster, so keep it for days when it will not rub.
What does it arrive in?
A glass bottle with a cork lid, the piece inside and its card, in a white ARKH gift box, with an authenticity card stating what it is made of. It needs no wrapping.
How quickly does it arrive?
We hold these in Melbourne and post the next business day. Australia Post estimates 2 to 6 business days within Australia. Postage within Australia is $7.95, and free over $100. For Christmas, see the last order dates.
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