Yellow gold, rose gold, or sterling silver chains are timeless accessories that showcase your style and fashion sense. Necklaces, pendants, and lockets can be worn alone, layered, or intertwined in a dazzling range of designs. However, when you use multiple chains or have several strands in a necklace, your jewelry will likely get hooked up and snarled at some time. So, if you find yourself with a tangled necklace, here’s how to unknot that chain without damaging your precious jewelry. See these five solutions to try at home.
1. Use Lazy Vibrations to Unknot Tangled Chains
Try an easy way first. Place your problem chain in a small plastic container and barely cover it with water. Then place the container on top of your washing machine when it’s on a spin cycle, and watch the vibrations loosen the knot. You should then find it much easier to unravel the remaining knot. You can also try using an ultrasonic jewelry cleaner, but a word of warning. These tend to loosen gemstone settings, so they are better for simple chains rather than pendants.
Unfortunately, complex fine chain knots may not respond to whichever method you use and still hold together afterward. So, you may have to resort to something a little more painstaking.
2. Patient Finger Work
If you have a great eye for detail and your fingers are nimble, this is a practical way to tackle a tangled chain necklace in most situations. First, find a space where you can fully lay the chains flat. A bench top, desk, or tabletop is perfect for this task. Then start by gently rubbing and shaking the clump to see if any loops will fall from the knot. If the clump remains, open the clasp and spread the chain out, so the knot is clearly visible.
Try gently prying the knot apart, creating enough give to push the necklace back through. If the knot appears to be tightening, stop at once before a break occurs. Then, reverse the direction you were mistakenly pulling the chain in and continue to untangle the knot. If the knot is very fine and still refusing to budge, it’s next worth trying a small pointed tool to help.
3. Use a Fine Point Tool to Fix a Tangled Chain Necklace
Inserting a finely pointed device into a knot can help untangle it. Wiggle the tool around in the knot to open and loosen it. You can use needles, pins, straightened-out paper clips, or even toothpicks. For example, insert the tips of two needles into the middle of the chain clump and then pull the needles in opposing directions to create a gap. When you have an opening, keep using the needles to pull apart the necklace strands until you can use your fingers to finish.
Unraveling knots is painstaking work, particularly with delicate mesh chains. If you’re not making headway, and your necklace or pendant is valuable, it might be time to get expert help.
4. Use a Professional Jewelry Service
Many jewelers offer repair, detangling, and cleaning services for all types of jewelry. These are your go-to people when you’re at your wit’s end on how to unknot tangled chains. Jewelers have access to precise purpose-built tools that, along with their expertise, make short work of detangling chains, necklaces, and pendants.
They see tangled jewelry often, as this is a common issue, particularly with fine mesh chains. Using the right-sized jewelry tweezers, pliers, and setting tools, your jeweler will skillfully unravel even the most challenging chain knots.
5. Get a Jewelry Organizer to Prevent Tangling
If you're sick of unknotting tangled chains, consider how jewelry organizers can stop this from happening.
Quilted jewelry rolls hold your necklaces securely during travel so they cannot move around and tangle with other chains and jewelry pieces. A small hanger with hooks can be mounted on closet or cabinet doors, providing separate hooks to hang each chain.
There are an astonishing number of custom-built boxes, cases, drawer inserts, holders, and racks, in a dazzling variety of materials and colors that you can buy. Or you can make your own.
Bespoke Designs for Necklaces and Pendants
If you need to replace a damaged tangled chain necklace, update your jewelry collection, or make a new style statement, get in touch with us at Carbon Diamonds. We have an exquisite range of diamond necklaces and pendants to suit every style and occasion. If you’re looking for unique designs for engagement or wedding jewelry, our expert designers will craft your vision into reality.
