Franco vs Cuban chain comes down to the shape of the link. A Franco is built from V-shaped links packed tightly into a square profile, so it reads as a narrow, even column of gold from every side. A Cuban is a curb chain of thick, rounded links set close and twisted to lie flat, so it reads as a band on the chest. Our Franco chains run from 1.00 to 4.1 mm wide and our Cuban link chains from 2.60 to 8.00 mm, and the table below sets all fifteen necklaces side by side from their own listings.
Franco vs Cuban Chain, Side by Side
Every figure in the table was read from the chain's own listing: its width, the lengths it is offered in, its approximate gold weight at each length, and its clasp. Construction is shown only where the listing names it. Diamond-cut and pavé-cut describe a faceted gold surface; none of these chains is set with stones.
| Style | Chain | Construction, from its listing | Width | Lengths | Weight, from its listing | Clasp |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Franco | Adjustable Franco, with heart dangle | Not stated | 1.00 mm | Adjustable up to 22 inches | 3.5 g at 22 in, in yellow or white gold | Lobster clasp |
| Franco | Diamond-cut Franco | Solid | 2.20 mm | 18, 20 and 24 inches | 10.5 g at 18 in · 11.6 g at 20 in · 13.9 g at 24 in | Lobster clasp with end caps |
| Franco | Diamond-cut Franco | Not stated | 3.20 mm | 18, 20 and 24 inches | 8.5 g at 18 in · 9.3 g at 20 in · 11.0 g at 24 in | Lobster clasp with end caps |
| Franco | Diamond-cut Franco | Not stated | 4.1 mm | 20, 22 and 24 inches | 13.0 g at 20 in · 14.2 g at 22 in · 15.4 g at 24 in | Lobster clasp with end caps |
| Cuban | Miami Cuban | Solid | 2.60 mm | 18, 20, 22 and 24 inches | 9.5 g at 18 in · 10.5 g at 20 in · 11.6 g at 22 in · 12.5 g at 24 in | Lobster clasp with end caps |
| Cuban | Miami Cuban | Solid | 4.0 mm | 18, 20, 22, 24 and 26 inches | 21.9 g at 18 in · 24.4 g at 20 in · 26.7 g at 22 in · 29.1 g at 24 in · 31.4 g at 26 in | Box clasp with two safety latches |
| Cuban | Miami Cuban | Semi-solid | 4.50 mm | 18, 20, 22 and 24 inches | 10.5 g at 18 in · 11.0 g at 20 in · 12.1 g at 22 in · 13.3 g at 24 in | Box clasp |
| Cuban | Faceted Cuban | Not stated | 4.50 mm | 18 inches | 5.0 g at 18 in | Lobster clasp |
| Cuban | Miami Cuban, yellow gold | Semi-solid | 5.50 mm | 20 and 24 inches | 19.6 g at 20 in · 23.5 g at 24 in | Lobster clasp with end caps |
| Cuban | Miami Cuban, white gold | Semi-solid | 5.50 mm | 22 inches | 21.5 g at 22 in | Lobster clasp with end caps |
| Cuban | Miami Cuban, yellow gold | Semi-solid | 7.00 mm | 22 inches | 32.2 g at 22 in | Lobster clasp with end caps |
| Cuban | Miami Cuban, white gold | Semi-solid | 7.00 mm | 24 inches | 35.2 g at 24 in | Lobster clasp with end caps |
| Cuban | Polished Miami Cuban | Not stated | 8.0 mm | 22 inches | 23.6 g at 22 in | Box clasp |
| Cuban | Pavé-cut Miami Cuban, two-tone | Modern Lite | 8.00 mm | 22 inches | 22.3 g at 22 in | Box clasp |
| Cuban | Cuban choker | Not stated | Not listed | 16 inches | 8.9 g at 16 in | Lobster clasp |
Three differences show at once. The Cuban runs wider: our Franco chains stop at 4.1 mm, and the Cuban continues to 8.00 mm. The weights follow the width: the heaviest Franco necklace weighs 15.4 g at 24 inches, while the 7.00 mm semi-solid Miami Cuban in white gold weighs 35.2 g at the same length. And at the same width the two patterns are built differently. At about 4 mm and 20 inches, the 4.0 mm solid Miami Cuban weighs 24.4 g and the 4.1 mm diamond-cut Franco 13.0 g.
In the finest solid chains the order turns around. The 2.20 mm Solid Diamond-Cut Franco Chain weighs 11.6 g at 20 inches, more than the 2.60 mm Solid Miami Cuban Chain at 10.5 g, although it is the narrower of the two. A Franco packs its links into a square section, so a fine one carries its gold in depth rather than in width.
Mentioned in this piece
Solid Miami Cuban Chain Necklace in 14K Yellow Gold | 2.60mm
$3,269.00
View the piece
What Is a Franco Chain?
What is a Franco gold chain?
A Franco gold chain is made of V-shaped links fitted tightly into one another, so the chain has a square profile and looks the same from all four sides. It lies straight, carries a pendant cleanly and reads as a fine, even line of gold. Many Franco chains are diamond-cut, meaning the gold is faceted to catch the light; the cut is in the metal, with no stones.
Because every side of a Franco is the same, it has no front and no back to keep facing outward, which is much of why it is chosen for everyday wear and for a pendant. Our range runs from the fine Adjustable Franco Chain Necklace, 1.00 mm with a small heart dangle and adjustable up to 22 inches, through the 2.20 mm solid and the 3.20 mm Diamond-Cut Franco Chain, to the 4.1 mm Diamond-Cut Franco Chain, offered at 20, 22 and 24 inches. Each closes with a lobster clasp, set between end caps on the three diamond-cut chains.
What Is a Cuban Chain?
Is a curb chain the same as a Cuban chain?
A Cuban chain is a kind of curb chain. Both are made of links twisted so that they lie flat against one another. A Cuban, often called a Miami Cuban, uses thicker, rounded links set closer together, so it reads as a fuller, heavier band than a plain curb of the same width. Every Cuban is a curb, but not every curb is a Cuban.
The Cuban is the chain worn as the piece itself. Its flat links rest against the chest rather than standing up from it, and from 4 mm upward it is a statement on its own. Our Cuban link chains are built three ways, each named on its listing. The solid ones, the 2.60 mm and the 4.0 mm Solid Miami Cuban Chain, have links made through. The semi-solid ones, from the 4.50 mm Semi-Solid Miami Cuban Chain to the 7.00 mm, have links that are partly open inside, which makes them lighter for their width. The 8.00 mm pavé-cut chain is a Modern Lite Miami Cuban in two-tone gold, its white-gold links faceted to read like pavé, with no stones. The 8.0 mm Polished Miami Cuban Chain is the widest in yellow gold, at 23.6 g on 22 inches.
How They Differ When You Wear Them
The profile is the first difference you see. A Franco is a rounded square in section, so it reads as a line, catches light along its faceted edges and sits the same way whichever way it turns. A Cuban is flat, so it reads as a band, shows its polished faces, and lies against the skin.
The width bands in our guide to chain types place them. Under 2 mm is fine, 2 to 4 mm is everyday, 4 to 7 mm is a chain worn as the piece itself, and 7 mm and over is a statement. Our Franco chains sit in the first two bands. Our Cuban chains begin in the everyday band at 2.60 mm and run through the other two, to 8.00 mm.
For a pendant, the Franco is the classic choice: its smooth, even links let a pendant slide freely and sit still. A Cuban can carry one too, though a broad pattern competes with a small pendant for attention. Worn together, the two layer well because they read so differently: wear the finer chain a length shorter than the wider one, so each keeps its own line.
Which is heavier, a Franco or a Cuban chain?
At the same width and length, a solid Cuban is usually the heavier chain, because its links are thick and wide. In our range the 4.0 mm solid Miami Cuban weighs 24.4 g at 20 inches and the 4.1 mm Franco 13.0 g. In very fine solid chains the Franco can be heavier, as its square section is deep. Read the gram weight on each listing to compare.
Clasps, Lengths and Fit
Every Franco in our range closes with a lobster clasp, a spring-loaded hook that opens with one finger. The Cubans divide by build. The 2.60 mm solid and the 5.50 and 7.00 mm semi-solid Miami Cubans close with a lobster clasp between end caps; the 4.50 mm semi-solid, the 8.0 mm polished and the 8.00 mm pavé-cut close with a box clasp, a tongue that slides into a box set flush with the links; the 4.0 mm solid has a box clasp with two safety latches; and the faceted Cuban and the choker close with a lobster clasp.
Our Franco necklaces come at 18 to 24 inches, the 1.00 mm adjustable up to 22, and the Cubans from the 16 inch Cuban Chain Choker Necklace to 26 inches on the 4.0 mm solid. As a guide, 16 to 18 inches sits at the base of the neck or on the collarbone, 20 to 22 inches a little lower, and 24 inches toward mid-chest. For a man, 20 to 24 inches sits at about the center of the chest. A longer chain is also more gold, so read the weight beside the length.
How to know if a Cuban chain is real?
Check three things. Look for a karat stamp, such as 14K or 585, which is usually found on the clasp or an end cap. Compare the chain's weight with the gram weight its seller lists for that width and length. And look closely at the edges of the links, where a plated chain shows a different color as it wears. Every DEEVE chain is solid gold, never plated, and hallmarked.
Which One to Choose
Choose a Franco for a fine, even line worn every day, alone or with a pendant: the 2.20 mm solid is the finest solid one, the 4.1 mm the boldest. Choose a Cuban when the chain is the piece: the 2.60 mm solid for an everyday line with the Cuban's flat look, the 4.50 mm semi-solid for presence without the gram weight of a solid chain, and the 7.00 and 8.0 mm chains for a statement. Both are worn by men and women alike.
Both clean the same way at home, about once a month: soak for 10 to 15 minutes in warm water with a few drops of mild dish soap, brush gently between the links with a soft toothbrush, rinse in clean warm water with the sink plugged, then pat dry with a soft, lint-free cloth and let it air-dry fully before storing. Avoid chlorine, gritty cleaners and home ultrasonic machines, since water can get trapped inside semi-solid links. Our guide to cleaning a gold chain has the full method, and our guide to hollow vs solid gold chains explains what a chain's weight tells you.
The Franco and the Cuban are two of the link patterns in our range; our guide to the types of gold chains sets them beside the rest, with the widths and lengths of each.
Compare the two in our Franco chains and Cuban link chains collections, or start with the 2.60 mm Solid Miami Cuban Chain in 14K yellow gold, offered in four lengths from 18 to 24 inches.
Warranty. Every DEEVE chain carries a lifetime manufacturer's warranty for the original purchaser, serviced in-house, with complimentary cleaning, inspection and prong tightening for the life of the piece and rhodium re-plating on white gold at no charge. Read the warranty.
0 comments