How to Detangle Your Jewelry

Let’s face it- tangles happen. Tangles are the bane of every jewelry lover’s existence, but we’re happy to share with you that not all hope is lost! You can easily master how to detangle your jewelry (and keep it separated) the stress-free and easy way with the help of a few tips and tricks from Mackley Jewelers.

Sewing Needles and Safety Pins

Here in the store, we like to lay tangled jewelry on a flat, smooth surface and separate items with dental tools. Considering the fact that you most likely do not have dental picks laying around- the next best thing to detangle with are sewing needles or large safety pins. Using the pointy ends, place the pin/needle into the knots and gently rock back and forth to loosen. Once the knot surrenders, stabilize the chains and pull away in opposite directions to lead the chain where you need it to go. This almost always works, if it doesn’t- continue onto the next tip!

Soak and Separate

If your knots are superiorly stubborn and won’t budge with the needle and pin method- try loosening them up with a spa day. Start by taking warm water and a gentle, mild soap such as Dawn or baby shampoo and create a solution. Allow your items to soak a little bit and then take any knots between your thumb and forefinger and massage to encourage loosening. We recommend you avoid soaking pearls as the solution could stain the cord and also stretch out the length.

Keep It Separated

Once your jewelry has been separated successfully, we recommend storing each individual piece in its own Ziploc bag. The snack-sized bags are fine, they also make smaller ones you can find on Amazon! For necklaces, you can either thread the chain through a straw (feel free to trim the straw to fit if necessary) and clasp it closed or you can simply put the necklace into the ziplock and sealing closed while leaving a little slack hanging out of the end of the seal to keep the necklace from tangling again. You should always store your silver in an airtight bag so the metal doesn’t tarnish.