How to Detangle a Herringbone Bracelet

Store your herringbone bracelet separately from other jewelry.

The herringbone pattern appears on textiles from the ancient world, according to Brian Haughton, author of "Hidden History." The herringbone pattern, whether on an intricately woven basket, as part of a herringbone fabric made into a jacket or on a piece of jewelry such as a herringbone bracelet has a woven, dimensional appearance. Herringbone bracelets today are often made by complex machines that can handle strands of wire just .12 millimeters thick. Your herringbone bracelet can easily become tangled because of the complex pattern and the way the individual components of the bracelet join together.

Things You'll Need

• Mirror
• Glass table (optional)
• Granite countertop (optional)
• Eye dropper
• Vegetable or baby oil
• Straight pins

Instructions

1. Open the clasp of your bracelet. Examine the bracelet for kinks. If your bracelet is kinked rather than tangled, take the bracelet to a jeweler as a kinked herringbone bracelet may break if you attempt to straighten the kinked area.

2. Lay your bracelet on a hard, slick surface such as a mirror, glass table or granite countertop. Put one drop of vegetable or baby oil directly onto each tangled area of your bracelet, using an eye dropper. The oil will lubricate the wires in the bracelet which may help loosen the knot.

3. Hold the bracelet between the index finger and thumb of each hand. Place your fingers and thumbs on either side of the knot. Push the fingers of each hand toward each other to release the knot. A herringbone bracelet will likely have just one knot as the thickness of the pattern makes it less likely to form multiple knots.

4. Hold a straight pin in each hand, if you cannot untangle the bracelet with your fingers. Place one of the pins into the knotted area and use the other to hold the bracelet still. Gently pull at the tangled area with the pin. Shake your fingers gently as you pull to "tease" the knot out.

Tips & Warnings

• Use a jewelry cleaner to remove the oil from your bracelet after you untangle it.

• Store your herringbone bracelet flat in a drawer or jewelry case to prevent it from tangling. You can also store it with other chains in your jewelry box.

• Ask a jeweler to check the chain for weak spots after you remove the tangle.

• Do not pull the bracelet with force as it may break.

• Remove your bracelet before sleeping or exercising to avoid kinking the bracelet and creating weak spots.

References

• Hidden History: Lost Civilizations, Secret Knowledge, and Ancient Mysteries: Brian Haughton
• CADInfo.net: The Art of Crafting Gold Chains...by Machine
• Good Housekeeping: Untangling Necklaces

Resources

• Jewellers.net: Jewellery Care Tips