How To Make A Necklace Shorter

Having the perfect length necklace is a must with any outfit! There are many necklace lengths that suit people differently. Some people prefer a longer necklace chain when wearing dresses or summery tops whereas others prefer a shorter necklace chain when wearing tops and jumpers that have a high neckline. 

In order to figure out the perfect necklace length for you, it may be worth identifying the type of necklace chain that you are working with as different styles come in different sizes. Here are some of the most common types of necklace chains;

A pearl necklace is a classy and sophisticated piece of jewellery that suit people who are older and generally more elegant in style. Usually, a pearl necklace can either be very long or very short in style. However, 18 inches is described as the classic length.

The clue is in the name for this type of necklace, it fits around your neck in a way where it feels loose however, you won’t be able to see any gaps. This is perfect for people who wear a lot of clothing that consist of high necklines. Typically, you will never need to adjust the size of a choker necklace as it is made to cling to the neck and can be stretched to fit your neck size.

Unique in style, snake chains are perfect for those who love basic jewellery items with a twist. This type of necklace chain is created with tightly woven curved plates and slim links to form an infinite chain pattern. The length can vary with a snake chain however, it is not an easy task to shorten this type of chain because of the many different links.

This type of chain is unusual as it comes with many layers. Generally, the length of a matinee necklace is 20-24 inches and sits between the collarbone and the chest. If you are planning to shorten a matinee necklace, it would be difficult because of the different lengths involved.

Similar to a snake chain, the oval links on this chain are intertwined with the standard cable chain links to create the pattern that is featured on a rope. There is no set length for a Cuban chain however, it can range from 22-24 inches for a woman and between 28-30 inches for men.

Firstly, if you own basic link chains, you should be able to locate jump rings. These will always be found on the end of the necklace next to the clasp and on the other side of the chain.

After identifying the jump rings, get a pair of pliers. Place one of the pliers onto the side of the jump ring facing upwards and place the other plier on the opposite side of the jump ring, facing horizontally. Hold the plier that is facing upwards completely still so that it doesn’t move at all.

Pull the plier that is facing horizontally gently towards your face until you start seeing the gap in the jump ring open up.

After successfully opening the gap in the jump ring, you can detach it from the chain. Depending on how much shorter you want the chain to be, you can remove as many circular links as you want, however, 2-3 jump rings is the maximum recommendation.