How to Untangle a Necklace in Seconds!

We’ve all been there – there’s one necklace that you desperately want to wear only to find that when you take it out of the jewelry box, it’s tangled. This is especially true if you’re someone who is a fan of dainty chains.

First, it’s important to remember that proper storage is essential for avoiding tangled necklaces, but there are many ways for you to remedy the situation without a jeweler. Below are our favorite methods for untangling a necklace in seconds.

How to untangle a necklace? Read this!

Trick 1: Mineral Oil Method

Lubrication can be key for untangling necklaces, especially if it is one with a very thin chain. For this process, we recommend using either baby or mineral oil, as it will help the chain glide through any knots that have been made over time.

You’ll also need a straight pin in order to make this work, as your fingers will likely be too big.

Step 1: Lubricate the chain

The first thing you’ll need to do is place a dollop of mineral or baby oil onto the parts of the chain that are tangled. Make sure you allow 30 seconds for the oil to make its way in between all of the knots.

Step 2: Pulling apart the knots

Keeping the necklace on a hard surface, use your straight pin to gently work the knots out of the chain.

This is likely going to take more than a few minutes, depending on how tangled your necklace is. As you go along, untangling the deeper knots should become simpler.

Step 3: Cleaning the Necklace

Once finished, it’s recommended you clean the necklace using warm water and a soft cloth.

After wearing, make sure you store it in a safe place, such as a hanging jewelry holder, so that it doesn’t get tangled again.

Trick 2: Baby Powder Method

With this method, you’re going to want to follow the same steps as the oil method, the only difference is that you’re going to use baby powder instead.

As it is a finely milled powder that is very soft when applied to the skin, it’s an alternative lubricator that will help to make pulling apart the knots much simpler. Again, you’re going to need a straight pin for this process.

When applying the baby powder, make sure that you use a small sprinkle of dust instead of dousing the chain, otherwise, it will be very difficult to clean once you’ve worked all of the knots out.

If you find that there’s still too much resistance, you can add baby oil to the powder for extra lubrication.

Trick 3: Using a Jeweler

If you’ve tried the above two tricks and you still aren’t able to untangle your necklace without the fear of breaking it, there’s always the option of taking it to a jeweler.

It’s very likely they’ll be able to do it free of charge and for more expensive pieces, this may be a preferable choice to make. Your jeweler will likely follow the below steps to get rid of knots:

Step 1: Have professional equipment

Jewelers have a variety of specialized tools that are designed specifically for untangling chains, including setting tools and multiple sizes of tweezers. Each piece is designed to be gentle enough on the material as to not damage it and will require a lot of patience to use.

Step 2: Removing jump rings

This step requires a little more work and may have a service charge attached to it, depending on the severity of the tangle.

If the jeweler finds there’s no way to untangle the necklace without damage, they will remove the rings used to keep both ends of the necklace together, known as jump rings.

Once they have been clipped, the chain should then easily come apart and they will solder new jump rings onto the necklace.

Step 3: Using a New Chain

You’ll find this is usually a last-ditch resort when it comes to repairing tangles in necklaces and it will only work if you have a pendant, rather than stones embedded into the chain.

If there is absolutely no way to get rid of the knots, you may be better off buying a brand new chain to hang your pendant on. Although it’s the most expensive, it gives you the ability to wear your necklace.

Tips for Storing Your Necklaces

The most important thing to know about getting rid of tangles in your jewelry is that if you store them properly, there’s little chance they’re going to get ruined. This can save a lot of time and hassle on your end.

Here are our favorite tips for storing your jewelry to avoid tangles.

✓ Using Straws

Straws are by far the cheapest and easiest way to prevent tangles in your jewelry. Depending on the length of the chain, you may have to cut the straw in half. All you have to do is unclasp your necklace and taking one half, slide it through the straw.

At this point, the clasp should fall somewhere in the middle of the outside of the straw. Clasp the necklace together on the outside of the straw and you certainly won’t ever have to worry about it tangling again.

✓ Business Cards

If you have extra business cards lying around the house, this is another fantastic idea, as you’ll essentially be making your own display cards for your jewelry.

Using scissors, cut one slit on either side of the business card. You can then clasp your necklace and slide each half of the chain into the slits you have created. Make sure it’s set tightly and securely to avoid tangles.

✓ Hanging Jewelry Holders

It can be quite an achievement to display your most beautiful pieces in your bedroom or wardrobe, which is why we love hanging jewelry holders. They are specifically designed for you to delicately keep all of your necklaces safe and secure without the worry of tangling.

Though they’re not ideal for travel, they’re fantastic for avoiding tangles at home.

Final Thoughts

It’s incredibly frustrating trying to work knots out of chains, especially if you have thin ones. Using these ‘how to untangle a necklace’ steps, you should be able to return the necklace to normal so you can start wearing your favorite pieces again in a matter of seconds.

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