How to Shorten a Necklace Permanently or Temporarily
A particularly long necklace won’t go with every outfit and won’t go with every body type. However, suppose you maybe inherited a particularly long necklace or just have had one in your collection so long you can’t possibly return it now. In that case, you may be hoping to wear that necklace occasionally, regardless of these facts. Sure, you could just wear a shorter necklace, but you have this necklace — and you want to wear it now.
Luckily, you don’t have to just wear the long necklace as is, allowing it to hang and swing against your body awkwardly. There are many ways to shorten a necklace, whether you need a permanent solution or just want to learn how to temporarily shorten a necklace.
What You Will Learn
How to Make My Necklace Shorter Permanently
If you want to learn how to make necklaces shorter and you want a permanent solution, you have a few options.
How to Shorten a Chain Necklace by Cutting It
The first and most obvious way to permanently shorten a necklace is by cutting it to your desired length. This method works best with chain necklaces, but not all chain necklaces — you’ll have the best results with necklaces that feature simpler chain links, as you’ll need to cut between adjacent chain links. This process becomes more complicated when working with more delicate chains, such as a rope chain.
You’ll need the following tools:
- Pliers
- Wire cutters
- A measuring tape
First, measure the necklace and determine how much of the excess chain you want to remove. Be sure to take accurate measurements to achieve the perfect necklace length. Once you begin cutting, it will be very difficult to backtrack if you accidentally cut away too much.
Using your wire cutters, carefully cut the links at each end of the portion of the chain that you want to remove. Then, use the pliers to remove the cut links from the rest of the chain. Then, using the wire cutters and pliers again, reconnect the new ends of the chain by making a small incision in one link and then fastening that link around the other, opposite link.
Nervous?
If you don’t have wire cutters or are nervous about cutting into an existing link, you can use a jump ring to attach the two opposite links.
Open jump rings are small, individual chain links with a small opening that can be further opened and then closed again with your pliers. This allows you to slip the two opposite links onto the ring and then hold them in place. You can purchase jump rings anywhere that sells jewelry-making supplies.
Go to a Professional Jeweler for Necklace Adjusting
If you don’t feel like your DIY skills are up for the process described above, consider taking your necklace chain to a professional. A professional jeweler can quickly and permanently shorten your necklace, so you don’t risk accidentally damaging it while trying to shorten it. This process is typically affordable and fast (sometimes, they will also complementary clean your piece).
Additionally, a professional jeweler can help if you have a type of necklace that’s not so easy to permanently shorten on your own, such as a pearl necklace or necklace chains with more difficult to link types (and if you get started trying to shorten the chain on your own, and find that separating the two adjacent chain links is just too difficult, don’t be afraid to stop the process and seek professional help!).
How to Shorten a Necklace Without Cutting It
Most jewelry wearers want to shorten their necklaces without taking any permanent measures. They’d rather find a quick and easy solution that requires little to no DIY skills and doesn’t risk damaging the jewelry.
For those individuals, here’s how to shorten a necklace chain without cutting and tips for temporarily shortening any type of necklace.
1. Double Wrap It
Sometimes, learning how to shorten a necklace chain is as simple as double wrapping it. If it’s long enough, you can loop the necklace around your neck twice, creating a stylish layered effect.
2. Attach the Clasp in a Different Place
When considering how to shorten chain necklace, look at the chain’s current clasp and the chain’s links. No, you don’t need to buy a new clasp. Suppose the links are large enough to accommodate it. In that case, you can simply fasten the existing clasp further along the chain, shortening its length and where it falls against your neck or chest. While this does leave you with some excess chain by the clasp fastener, you can easily hide this behind your neck, beneath your collar.
3. Create a Makeshift Clasp Using a Regular Post Earring
If the above suggestion for how to shorten necklace chain doesn’t work due to the size or shape of your chain’s clasp or links, create a new, makeshift clasp using a post back earring.
Simply overlap the chain where you’d like it to meet to give you the desired length, and then slip the earring post through both links where they overlap. Then, slide the earring’s fastener onto the earring post. This makeshift clasp will keep the earring and the two links in place, leaving you with a necklace of your preferred size.
4. Buy a Necklace Shortener
Necklace shorteners are made just for this purpose. Sometimes also called infinity clips or chain shorteners, these small, decorative clips fasten around your chain where you’d like it to meet in the back to give you the desired length in the front. Available online, an infinity clip is an easy and safe option for how to shorten necklace temporarily.
Suggested Read: How to Fix a Broken Necklace Clasp?
How to Shorten a Necklace FAQs
No time to read any lengthy details? Here are the basics.
How do you shorten a necklace permanently?
To permanently shorten a chain necklace, decide how much chain you want to remove. Then, using wire cutters, cut that length of chain from the necklace. Reattach the two new ends of the necklace by making a small cut in one link and then using pliers to fasten that link around the opposite link.
How do you shorten a necklace temporarily?
The easiest way is to double wrap the necklace around your neck. However, using a necklace shortener, attaching the clasp in a different place, or creating a makeshift clasp using an earring post.
How do you shorten a chain necklace with an earring post?
Overlap the chain where you’d like it to meet, then slip the earring post through both links where they overlap. Slide the earring’s fastener onto the earring post, keeping the earring and links in place.
Can a professional jeweler shorten your necklace?
Yes, if you don’t feel capable of shortening a necklace at home and want a permanent solution, a professional jeweler at just about any jewelry store can help.
Is it expensive to shorten a chain?
No, most jewelers charge less than $50 to permanently shorten a chain by removing some links.
Now You Know How to Shorten a Necklace!
Whether you want to know how to make necklace shorter permanently or how to shorten necklace without cutting — now you can easily and safely shorten a necklace without risking damage to a favorite necklace that just so happens to be a little too long.
However, there’s more than one way for a favorite piece of jewelry to become damaged — and specialized jewelry insurance can help when accidents occur. Learn more about BriteCo’s comprehensive policies and how they can repair or replace pieces when life’s mishaps arise.
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