Getting your necklaces tangled up can be one of the most frustrating accessories problems. You want to look stylish by layering your necklaces, but as soon as you do, they become a knotted mess. Fortunately, there are some simple solutions to keep your necklaces untangled and ready to wear. In this article I will proved you with some steps and helpful tips on how to keep necklaces from tangling.

Table of Contents

How to Keep Necklaces from Tangling

Key Points

Store necklaces separately or on a jewelry organizer to prevent tangling.
Use plastic straws, paper towel tubes, or specialty necklace holders to keep chains from knotting up in storage.
Clasp necklaces before putting them away and keep clasps closed during storage.
Untangle knots gently using your fingers or tweezers rather than forcing chains apart.
Apply anti-tangle sprays or waxes to minimize friction between delicate chains.
Layer chains by order of length and material to prevent overlapping and tangling.
Consider necklace extenders or tassel stops to keep long necklaces separated.
Choose necklace styles such as coils that are less prone to tangling.
Take necklaces off gently over your head to avoid knots and pulls.
Store earrings, bracelets, and rings separately from necklaces to avoid intertwining.

Storing Necklaces to Avoid Tangling

The best way to prevent your necklaces from getting into knots is to store them properly when they are not being worn. Necklaces are most prone to tangling when they are tossed together in a jewelry box or drawer.

Use Separate Storage

Ideally, each necklace should have its own compartment or slot where it can lie flat and untangled. Some jewelry boxes come with built-in necklace holders or dividers so you can organize and separate your chains.

You can also keep your necklaces untangled by using:

Jewelry trees, towers, or valets with dedicated necklace hooks or slots.
Hanging necklace organizers that keep chains separated on pegs.
Over-the-door jewelry organizers with necklace storage options.
Armoire jewelry cabinets with necklace drawers or slots.

When stored individually, your necklaces are free to lie smoothly without risk of knotting or breaking. This makes it quick and easy to grab a necklace when you want to wear it.

Try Necklace Holders

For easy DIY necklace storage, you can use common household items:

Plastic straws – Simply thread each chain through an individual drinking straw to keep it tangle-free.
Paper towel or toilet paper tubes – Cut the tubes into segments and slide necklaces inside to prevent knotting.
Silverware caddies – Designate one caddy for all your necklaces to separate them in the slots.

There are also many inexpensive specialty necklace holders such as:

Travel necklace holders – Compact cases with slots to organize and separate chains.
Hanging necklace cases – Clear vinyl pouches with individual compartments for each necklace.
Necklace coils – Plastic coils that you wrap necklaces around to keep them from tangling.

Clasp Necklaces Before Storing

Make sure to clasp all your necklaces before putting them into storage. An open necklace clasp can easily snag on other jewelry and become an instant knot. Keeping necklace clasps closed also helps the chains lie smoothly and minimizes friction that can lead to tangled messes.

For added security, you can use clasps or ties to bind together the ends of your necklaces while stored. Small rubber bands, twist ties, ribbon, or string will keep clasp ends bound together and prevent tangling issues. Also consider shorten necklace that are too long.

Untangling Knotted Necklaces

Despite your best efforts, sometimes necklaces still end up in knots. When untangling a tangled necklace, it’s important to be patient and gentle to avoid damaging the chain.

Use Your Fingers

Work through the knots in the necklace slowly using your fingers. Moving the knots along the chain into a central area can help loosen things up. Gently tease apart the knots by sliding a section of chain at a time between your thumb and finger.

Try not to simply pull the knots tighter. This can cause delicate chains to kink, stretch, or break. With some time and focused finger work, you can usually undo even the tightest knots.

Use Tweezers or Pliers

For stubborn knots, use a pair of blunt tweezers or chain nose pliers to help pry them apart. Grip an outer section of the knot with the tweezers and slowly pull or twist it free. The tweezers give you a better grip on the knot without damaging the chains.

Take care not to pull too hard and avoid crimping fine chains with the pliers. With some diligent picking, the knots should progressively loosen up.

Add Lubricant

For slick chains like beaded necklaces or pearls, try using a lubricant like glycerin, olive oil, or jewelry polish. Put a drop on the knots and work it into the chains with your fingers. This reduces friction so the knots can be slipped apart more easily.

The lubricant also helps smooth out any kinks in the chain from being knotted. Just make sure to wipe off any excess when finished untangling.

Avoid Damaging Chains

Never pull, bend, or force a tightly knotted necklace as this can damage the chain. Don’t try to rush the untangling process. It’s better to gently work out knots over a period of time than break a chain by forcing it.

For very delicate or expensive necklaces, it may be best to have a professional jeweler untangle any complicated knots.

Preventing Necklaces from Tangling When Worn

With some planning, you can also keep your necklaces from turning into a frustrating mess while wearing them:

How to Keep Necklaces From Tangling: Layer by Length

When layering multiple necklaces, arrange them from longest to shortest as you put them on. The longest chain will lay smoothly all the way down your chest without bunching up. The progressively shorter chains will neatly drape over top at different lengths.

Consider Materials

Try to layer chains of similar materials and textures. For example, pair delicate chains with other delicate chains. Heavier, textured necklaces tend to tangle more when combined with finer pieces.

Use Necklace Extenders

Long necklaces can easily knot up, especially when layered together. Chain extenders are small jump rings or cords that attach to the clasp of your necklaces. This lets you wear the necklaces at different lengths to prevent tangling.

The extender connects to one necklace so you can wear it long. Then the shorter necklace without the extender will lay nicely on top without overlapping.

Add Tassel Stops

Long, straight necklaces tend to slide and wrap around each other more. Tassel stops are decorative charms that attach near the bottom of long necklaces to keep them in place.

The tassel has just enough weight to let the necklace hang smoothly down your chest without sliding. This helps prevent friction that leads to tangling.

Try Coil Styles

Coil necklaces made from spiral wound chains rarely tangle because of their spring-like shape. The coils naturally stay separated and bounce back into shape when worn or stored. Opt for these styles when tangling is a major concern.

Remove Carefully

Always be cautious when removing layered necklaces to avoid new tangles. Unclasp one necklace at a time, holding the chains steady in front as you slide them off over your head. Don’t allow necklaces to pull over your head haphazardly.

You can also temporarily knot long necklaces to make removing layered pieces easier. Just be sure to immediately undo the knots after taking them off.

General Tips for Preventing Necklace Tangling

Keep these additional tips in mind for keeping your necklaces tangle-free and ready to wear:

Avoid crimped or bent necklace chains that are more prone to tangling.
Store necklaces away from clothing, purses, keys, etc. that could snag them.
Keep necklaces away from water and chemicals that could damage chains.
Don’t spray perfumes, hairspray, etc. near stored necklaces.
Inspect chains for knots before putting necklaces away.
Only store or transport necklaces when clasped.
Use anti-tangle sprays or waxes for extra friction reduction.
Keep necklace storage flat and untangled as much as possible.
Store necklaces separately from other jewelry pieces.
Avoid pulling clasps through chains which can twist them.

How to Keep Necklaces From Tangling Hack

Tips for Specific Necklace Types and Materials

Certain necklace styles and materials tend to tangle more than others. Use these tips to manage different necklace types:

Delicate Chains

Store delicate chains individually to avoid friction.
Layer delicates together rather than with chunkier chains.
Use shorter lengths if possible to minimize dangling.
Add stoppers near clasps to prevent knotting.
Untangle very gently and patiently to avoid damage.

Chunky Chains

Hang or coil chunky chains to avoid bunching when stored.
Consider clasps or ties to bind ends before storage.
Layer with similar chunky styles to prevent overlapping.
Remove chunky necklaces carefully over your head.
Use necklace holders with adequate space and separation.

Pendants

Opt for shorter lengths to minimize pendant movement.
Make sure the pendant can slide along the chain smoothly.
Layer pendant chains by order of pendant size and chain length.
Store chains individually so pendants don’t knock together.
Remove pendants before untangling chains to avoid tugging.

Pearls and Beads

Apply anti-tangle sprays or lubricant between beaded chains.
Wrap each beaded necklace individually in tissue paper before storage.
Handle beaded strands extremely gently to avoid stretching.
Untangle beads with fingers or use a blunt bead re-stringing tool.
Keep clasps secure so beaded strands don’t slip through.

Gold, Silver, Platinum

Take extra care not to bend or crimp delicate precious metal chains.
Use shorter chain lengths for layering to minimize movement.
Avoid exposing chains to chemicals from hair and skin products.
Store precious metal chains individually in anti-tarnish bags.
Layer metallic chains together rather than with other materials.

How to Keep Necklaces From Tangling in a Box

– Use dividers or small boxes to separate necklaces in storage.

– Thread necklaces onto a straw or pencil to keep them untangled.

– Clip clasps together with binder clips before storing.

– Use small sealable plastic bags for individual necklaces.

– Wrap necklaces in tissue paper secured with tape.

How to Keep Necklaces From Tangling When Traveling

– Pack each necklace in its own plastic bag or jewelry travel pouch.

– Use straws, padded hangers, or notebook rings to thread necklaces before packing.

– Wrap necklaces in tissue paper or small bundles with twist ties.

– Place clasps together and secure with binder clips.

– Use a jewelry travel roll with divided pouches to separate necklaces.

How to Keep Bracelets From Tangling When Wearing

– Wear bracelets in order of size, larger to smaller toward hand.

– Put spacers or beads between bracelets to keep them separated.

– Choose bracelets with smooth edges that won’t catch on each other.

– Layer bracelets on different wrists or arms.

– Only wear 1-2 bracelets together at a time.

How to Stop Necklaces From Tangling in Hair

– Wear hair up or in a braid to keep hair away from necklaces.

– Choose necklaces with clasps that lay flat behind neck.

– Put a silicone bracelet or hair elastic around chain clasp to secure.

– Opt for shorter necklaces that sit higher on neck away from hair.

– Use clips, tape, or magnets to temporarily secure necklace chain to clothing.

How to Store Necklaces Without Tangling DIY

– Hang necklaces individually on push pins stuck into a bulletin board.

– Loop necklaces around bound straws or empty toilet paper rolls.

– Use a magnetic strip to hang necklaces separately.

– Thread necklaces through chain link key rings.

– Place small clothing hooks on the wall to hang necklaces from.

When to Seek Professional Help

While you can resolve many basic necklace knots and tangles yourself, sometimes it’s best to seek professional help. See a jeweler for untangling if:

The chain is very thin, delicate, or breaking.
There are severe kinks, crimps, or stretch damage.
The knots are extremely complicated or tight.
Special tools are needed like pliers or re-stringing equipment.
The necklace is valuable like gold, gemstones, antique, etc.
You want repairs done like a new clasp or reinforced links.

With quality tools and expertise, jewelers can often salvage even severely tangled necklaces. They can also reinforce damaged areas and improve the clasp to prevent future tangling issues.

FAQs

How Do I Keep My Necklace From Tangling When I Wear It?

To prevent necklace tangling, use a chain guard or enhancer, store properly when not worn, untwist chains regularly, and use jewelry cleaners. Silicone necklace holders also reduce tangling. For long necklaces, add a lariat slider or chain shorteners.

How Do You Keep Necklaces From Tangling When Wearing Multiple?

To prevent tangling when layering necklaces, wear different lengths and textures. Use lariat sliders, chain guards, or silicone keepers on each necklace. Untwist chains periodically. Store necklaces separately. Match metals to prevent chemical reactions.

How Do I Keep My Necklace From Twisting?

To keep necklaces from twisting, use chain shorteners, enhancers, or lariat sliders to divide long chains. Untwist regularly while wearing. Allow chains to hang freely when storing and avoid kinking. Clean with jewelry cleaner to remove built-up grime.

How Do You Store Necklaces Properly?

Store necklaces untangled, flat in a jewelry box with dividers or hanging on a stand. Avoid tangles by using individual plastic bags. Keep them away from other jewelry to prevent scratching. Store chains in their original packaging.

What Does a Necklace Symbolize in a Woman?

A necklace can symbolize femininity, sophistication, faith, and personal style in a woman. Certain necklaces represent relationships, like family or marriage. Some carry sentimental meaning or precious gems. Necklaces complement a woman’s natural beauty.

Conclusion

Dealing with knotted necklaces is never fun, but you can avoid endless tangling. Keep your necklaces neatly stored and handled when not being worn. When putting on layered necklaces, carefully arrange them by length and material. Learn techniques to gently untangle knots without damaging delicate chains.

With some diligent necklace organization and handling, you can keep your chains smooth and tangle-free. This allows you to spend your time styling with your favorite necklaces rather than untangling them