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If you accidentally put a necklace away carelessly after wearing it, then the next time you take it out, you may find that it is covered in knots. Necklace chains knot easily. If you have some time and patience to spare, then you can get these knots out. What's the best way to do this?

Undo Individual Knots

To untangle individual knots, you need a needle or a pin. You'll use this to gently ease the knots apart so that you can pull the chain through to get rid of each knot. You need to be gentle and careful here. This can be a slow process, and you have to take care not to damage the chain. If you're too forceful or if you pull too hard on the chain, then it might break.

Lay the necklace out flat on a table. Put the needle or pin directly in the centre of the knot. If the knot is tight, you may need to ease it in. Once the needle or pin is in place, pull the needle to the side a little. You may need to wiggle it about a bit. This should loosen the knot enough for you to pull the chain through.

If the knot is really tight and you can't loosen it, then you can add a drop of baby oil or even a light dusting of talcum powder to the knot. Baby oil lubricates the chain a little; talcum powder makes the chain run more smoothly.

Repeat this process for every knot in the chain until you're done. If you've used oil or powder, make sure to clean the chain afterwards to get rid of any residue.

Have the Chain Repaired

While many knotted chains can be fixed at home, there may be times when it is better to take the chain to a jewellery repair shop. For example, if you're working with an antique chain that is quite valuable or fragile, then you may not be confident messing about with it yourself.

In some cases, knots may be so tight that you can't get in them to open them up. Or if you're faced with knots that have then knotted on themselves over and over again, you may not know where to start the untangling.

A jewellery repair specialist can help in these cases. They have the tools and experience to unknot your necklace and get it right again.