30+ Cool Collarbone Tattoos That You Will Want to Get ON Your Chest

First things first, collarbone tattoos hurt. In fact, they hurt a lot. Any tattoo that is placed near a bone near the surface of the skin is going to be painful. Collarbone tattoos are particularly painful because of how close the skin sits on the bone. But, if you’re not afraid of a challenge, collarbone tattoos are gorgeous pieces that are highly visible, making them a favorite today. If you are getting your first tattoo, we urge you to choose a different area for you to get a feel for it before jumping into the deep end with a collarbone tattoo.

We wanted to get a better idea of the trends around collarbone tattoos and their limitations and possibilities of them. So, we turned to social media to find the latest and greatest collarbone tattoos to share with you. By far, the most popular type of collarbone tattoo is botanical imagery. Most of them cascade over the collarbone onto the chest. It’s dramatic and gorgeous but it’s not the only way to go! Get inspired by our picks for the coolest collarbone tattoo ideas!

Tiny Bits and Bobs

We’re kicking this list off with a pair of collarbone tattoos that look whimsical and fun. Tiny stars, dots, squiggles, and more cover the collarbones here and look childlike and full of energy. If you want really fun collarbone tattoos and you are not taking yourself too seriously, something like this could be perfect.

Delicate Dots

Take a look at these two branch collarbone tattoos and you will notice a bunch of tiny dots that offer texture and visual interest. As we mentioned, botanical elements like these are extremely popular among collarbone tattoos. You will be in company if you decide to go in this direction!

Dragon Wrap

Designs that seem to wrap around the collarbone like this are fairly popular today. The chief subject matter includes dragons and snakes. We liked the sharp look of this dragon and keep reading to see the snack wrap collarbone tattoo.

Time for a Nap

Well, you could wrap a snake around your collarbone or you could go in a cute direction. How precious is this sleeping cat that looks like it is draped over the collarbone? This is one of our favorite collarbone tattoos on this list.

Butterflies

Butterflies are an extremely popular tattoo subject matter so we were not surprised to see several variations of this sort of design. Butterflies are gorgeous in black ink or color and make fur handsome collarbone tattoos.

Moon Peony

Wow! Shading is the name of the game in this collarbone tattoo. A peony flower and the skin around it have been shaded in a way to create a pale crescent moon that feels like it is overlayed on top of the flower. What a dream!

Abstract Goodness

We found some cloud-like designs for this mysterious yet beautiful collarbone tattoo. While it is popular to do both collarbones, you can get a cool look by just going with one instead.

Two Tidy Tigers

We find some very sharp, mirrored tiger tattoos here. Note how the color has been applied to the stripes to give even more texture to the cat’s fur. If you are wanting to go with larger collarbone tattoos, consider this placement for your own designs.

Spikey

These abstract, vaguely spikey designs are the perfect shape for the collarbones. If you’re after something less figurative and more abstract, something similar would look great. You can choose to scale something like this up or down to your liking.

Snip Snip

We find a couple of scissors snipping flowers in these collarbone tattoos. While flowers are popular, scissors are rather unique. Think of meaningful everyday objects to you and elevate them to art with your tattoos.

Beautiful Botanicals

Finally, more color! We find some luscious blossoms blooming from a delightful green sprig. If you would like to tie your two collarbone tattoos together, something in the center like this moon shape is a great way to achieve it.

Twinkling

Here’s another moon collarbone tattoo, folks! Again, we’ve got a bunch of tiny dots populating the crescent shape here to make it look moodier and more visually interesting. If the night sky inspires you, something similar could be excellent for you.

Snake Wrap Collarbone Tattoo

As promised, here is that snake-wrapped collarbone tattoo. It’s equal parts creepy and cool. This is a rather modestly-sized tattoo but you could absolutely get a bigger snake or snakes tattooed and achieve the same effect.

Enjoy the Koi

Any sort of nature-inspired subject matter is game for your collarbone tattoos. Koi fish are symbols of good luck. There is no denying their beauty. That makes them ideal candidates for your tattoos.

More Blooms

We will be sharing a few more of these botanical designs so you get an idea of the different styles for you to go with. These flowers have a haunting, ethereal quality to them. Work with an artist with a point of view for a singular design that only you can claim.

Birdies

Bird collarbone tattoos have been a popular option for decades. If you would like to go in this classic direction, you can go with more traditional bird tattoos or photorealistic ones like these.

Collarbone Coverage

The person who shared this image captioned it as a “protection tattoo.” We are not experts on protection tattoos and we were just impressed by this gorgeous pattern and the dramatic shape of the tattoo that covers much of the upper chest. If you’re looking to make a commitment, something similar could work out well for you.

Colorful

How fun! We found some vaguely bubbly squiggles in rainbow ink on these collarbone tattoos. Have a blast with your designs and lean into your weirder side for the most original and self-expressive tattoos.

One Fabulous Fan

We find a tiger again, this time on a handsome blue fan with clouds. If you’re not getting matching collarbone tattoos, something with a narrative like this will be a great fit for you.

Just Gorgeous

We find a delicate touch in this blossom tattooed in blush and deep burgundy. The colors harmonize with each other in the most thrilling way. We like these bigger collarbone tattoos that cover the collarbone instead of following along it. But, go with your gut.

Vintage Cornflowers

These cornflower collarbone tattoos were inspired by a floral design on vintage plates. We love the retro vibe here and the choice of blue ink that pops more than basic black. If you are not married to black, consider going with your favorite color for something even more special.

Mirrored Ink

We’re not sure how the tattoo artist pulled it off so well, but these collarbone tattoos are perfect mirrors of each other. The shapes look like black ink floating in water. These inky designs have been trendy picks over the last couple of years. We’re into it!

Tiny Peacock Feather

Micro tattoos are another big trend today. We were not surprised to find one on a collarbone! This very small peacock feather is packed with so much detail with hundreds of little lines used to give the feather its signature texture.

Swoonworthy

These flowers and butterflies stretch from the center of the chest and extend out over the collarbone. It’s dainty, femme, and really pretty. As you have seen in these last two examples, going small really does make a big impact.

Fox and Hare

Here’s a great pair of collarbone tattoos featuring a fox and a hare. Each character is in motion, giving the overall look action and excitement. Botanical elements have been included for balance and good measure. This is a classic look that appeals because it is so timeless.

There you go! We hope you enjoyed these collarbone tattoos and that you got some ink inspiration from the previous designs. Remember always to request that your artist create something original for you instead of ripping off someone else’s design. If you want to look at even more tattoos, keep reading because we have some amazing chest tattoos to also share with you.

Check Out These Stunning Chest Tattoos

Chest Tattoos for Men

Full Chest Piece

As promised, here’s a full chest piece that extends below the pecs and all the way up and over the shoulders and upper arms. This is one really big tattoo, which is not going to be everyone! The black and gray certainly looks dramatic!

Stunner on the Sternum

We believe this design is inspired by Japanese hannya from Noh theater. It certainly looks sharp sitting right in the center of the chest on top of the sternum.

Neo-Traditional Style

Tattoo artists working in this graphic, classic style tend to call it neo-traditional. We find a handsome tiger, two swallows, and some red roses for good measure. Notice how the shape of the design here accentuates the natural shape of the chest.

Ouroboros

The ouroboros is an ancient symbol and a popular choice for tattoos. That being said, we’ve never seen one like this. The choice of copper-colored ink paired with black looks pleasantly intense. Again, shapes that seem to open up like this, which is in the shape of a heart, look incredible for chest tattoos.

Geometric Drama

The lines of this tattoo are so sharp that it almost looks fake! Notice that heart or upside-down triangle shape again? It’s the most popular shape for chest pieces because it looks excellent every time.

Just One Pec

Now, you don’t have to go and get your whole chest tattooed! No, you can do just one pec as this person has done or even less! We rather like the color choices for this angry-looking bull.

The Wave

This over-the-shoulder look is very cool, right? We love the way the design seems to spill over and then off of the shoulder. Black and gray ink next to that orange sun really pops!

My Octopus Tattoo

How stunning is this? Octopi are truly remarkable creatures and the tattoo artist has done an amazing job of capturing all of their leggy goodness in this design. See how the tentacles extend beyond the chest onto the upper arms? Feel free to do the same with your design for a cool look!

Medusa

We’re not 100% sure that this tattoo was inspired by mythical Medusa, but it sure looks like it! Cathedral tattoos that borrow design elements from architecture are a huge trend right now. This is art, folks!

The Crow

We told you those architectural elements were big, didn’t we? Here’s another design with a sort of rose window look to it. We find a crow seemingly having one as a halo. A fabulous and inventive design!

Black & Red

The best tattoo advice we can ever give you: go red. Red ink always looks stunning. On one pec we find parts of a heart and the other seems to be a red flower. This tattoo has been done using the watercolor style which looks evocative of painting!

Jaws

Go ahead and get that big old shark you’ve always wanted to get tattooed over a quarter of your body! Why not?

Radial

Chest tattoos that look like very dramatic collars are very flattering. We find another splattery piece, this one extending all the way down the sternum almost onto the stomach.

More Shark with a Side of Alligator

Did you think you’d see more than one shark chest tattoo on this day? We find one in the battle of his life with an alligator.

Mandala-Inspired

Mandala-inspired designs like this one are hugely popular for nearly all parts of the body. These big round designs were an interesting choice and we think the overall look is fantastic.

A Pair of Swallows

Swallow tattoos have been very popular for a very long time. English sailors used to get them as symbols of their seafaring chops! These two are done in a neat style that almost makes them look as if they’ve been drawn rather than tattooed.

Lion Heart

Are there any Leos reading this? This giant lion tattoo is full of color and bursting with life. We don’t know why those two skulls are there, but it’s fine!

Geometry

Here’s another one of the geometric chest tattoos we found. We think this circle on the sternum with radiating lines looks great, almost like the Sacred Heart from religious art that’s been popular for centuries.

Moonbeams in the Palm

We’ve shown you some really big chest tattoos on this list. Let’s take a step back and look at some other possibilities. We find a lovely hand with a crescent moon that sits over the left pec. It’s not crazy big but it definitely makes an impression!

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Space Out

Get weird with it, folks! Here’s an alien-woman-hybrid. Extremely original tattoos like this one always stand out and look fantastic. You should find a tattoo artist you trust to help you come up with something just as creative!

Chest Tattoos for Women

Goth Florals

For obvious reasons, chest tattoos for women tend to sit higher up on the chest, closer to the collar bones. We find these gloriously dark roses resting over the collar bones slightly. It looks great! But, we must take a moment to caution all, that the collar bone is a very sensitive area that hurts to have tattooed more than other parts of the chest!

‘Jewelry’

The person who shared this image noted that she calls this test tattoo her “jewelry.” Indeed, these dainty little dots and swooping shapes really do look like a necklace. It’s beautiful!

Flowery Chest Piece

Here’s a different style of floral motif for this chest piece. Fun flowers brighten the whole chest up, don’t you think?

Moody Moon

Here’s one of the chest tattoos for women that sits a little lower on the sternum. Does anyone else have tattoo envy at this moment? We find a moon shape in the center radiating amazing designs to the outer part of the chest. This is a definite winner!

Small Is Great Too!

Again, you don’t have to go huge! Small tattoos look great on the chest. We are very fond of this minimal broken heart symbol.

Ornaments

We return to another one of the ornamental chest pieces. How fun are these very tiny dots? They seem to dance along the collar bone with a bigger design at the center.

Cherry Blossoms

These dreamy cherry blossoms are so faint they look haunting. You don’t need to get huge chest tattoos to make a big impression. This is some very fine work!

Peony Power

Here’s one of the chest tattoos that runs along the sternum. At the top, we find a decorative piece with a peony blossom opening at the bottom. This looks very feminine and very strong.

Vintage Flower

The person who shared this image explained they were inspired by a vintage illustration of flowers. This definitely has an antique vibe to it which is appealing.

Stolen Heart

Here’s the classic placement for chest tattoos for women. It fits neatly on the chest and floats just below the clavicles. A geometric effect on the heart stone was a very fun touch!

Butterfly Beauty

Butterfly tattoos are exceedingly popular as almost everyone loves these beautiful creatures. Done in just black, this one appears to hold some mystery.

Eye Spy

The Eye of Providence is a symbol that’s been with us for hundreds of years. It simply shows an eye inside a triangle or pyramid. It’s meant to symbolize the all-seeing “eye” of god. We find it looking strange in all the right ways in this chest tattoo.

‘Creation’

Is this tattoo a commentary on our creations reflecting us? We’re not sure and that’s what makes this chest tattoo so fun!

Folk Art

The person who shared this image explained that folk art inspired this stunning chest piece. The organic shapes of the flowers look soft next to those thick, black, decorative lines that seep across the chest. This is brilliant!

Placement Is Key!

This is an example of a hand-poked tattoo that is achieved without the use of a tattoo gun and is instead done entirely by hand. Notice all of the tiny dots? You can’t get them that small with a tattoo gun!

Red, Red Rose

Big, red roses are never going to ruin anyone’s day! This is one of the most classic chest tattoos on this list, with traditional design elements incorporated into every last bud!

Fade Into You

Take a look at this dramatic Mandala-inspired design that seems to fade down into the chest. It almost looks as if this has been airbrushed on!

Over the Shoulder

Chest tattoos that wrap over the upper arms onto the chest are some of our favorites. It’s just a really fun placement. The flowers here are just stunning in simple black and gray!

Inspired by North African Art

The person who shared this image wrote that the design was inspired by “North African art.” The geometric pattern looks gorgeous and we imagine finding it as decorative markings on a fine work of art.

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Leaf Wreath

One of the most common chest tattoos for both men and women are these leaf wreaths that extend from the sternum up to the shoulders. It’s a great look as the shape of the design looks complimentary on everyone!

There you go! We hope you enjoyed these chest tattoos and that you got some chest tattoo ideas for your next trip to the tattoo shop! We separated chest tattoos for men and chest tattoos for women because so many people search for their tattoos that way. In reality, most of these designs could be interchangeable for any gender! So, if you see something you like, talk to a tattoo artist about creating an original look of your own that’s going to fit your body type and shape!