Have you been given a piece of necklace that didn’t fit properly? Perhaps you ordered bracelets or necklaces from an online store that were too short or too long? Do not worry, because the size of the jewelry can be changed. In this article we will tell you how to make your jewelry longer or shorter.
How to increase the size of a necklace or bracelet
A jewelry piece that is too short is not only considered to be a mauvais ton, but it can also make the wearer uncomfortable while wearing it. When deciding to increase the length of the necklace or bracelet, it is better to ask for help from a jeweler. Even if you have soldering skills, it is not a guarantee that you will be able to fix the jewelry without damaging it.
Jewelers have the necessary tools and experience, so quickly and accurately make the necessary manipulations. Before you go to a master, formulate your wishes:
- If you want to lengthen the bracelet, you need to leave a gap of 1-3 cm between the jewelry and your wrist for comfortable use.
- If you are lengthening the necklace, you can determine the necessary size with a ribbon or a shoelace. Using a lace, make an imitation of a necklace and determine the length you like.
- Check the stones. If the jewelry is inlaid with stones, remove them before expanding and then put them back on. Check that the stones are securely fastened after you receive the finished piece.
Extend a necklace or bracelet yourself
If there is no time at all for lengthening, and you need to do it yourself, small tricks will help:
Second necklace. Make your jewelry longer with the help of a second necklace or bracelet with a similar weave and color. Staple the two accessories together – you will have a new original piece of jewelry.
- Gold pin. A great option when you need to enlarge your jewelry by literally a couple of centimeters. With a safety pin, you can transform a bracelet or necklace into a designer piece of jewelry.
- Extender. A special extender, made of several links, which helps to quickly and without unnecessary interventions expand the necklace or bracelet. You can buy extenders in jewelry stores.
- These methods are suitable for classic jewelry. If you have a monolithic bracelet, you can’t do without the help of a professional jeweler. Such items are first heated and then expanded with a special cone. Repeating such a thing at home is not only difficult, but also dangerous, so it is better to trust the professionals.
Is it possible to shorten the necklace?
If you need to shorten the necklace, it is wise to contact a jewelry workshop. The fact is that this work is usually not very difficult (there is no need to restore the weave or links), so it is relatively inexpensive. A good jeweler can easily cope with shortening even the most complex variants (“Snakes,” “Byzantines,” “Cardinals”), author’s weaves and hollow pieces.
The only subtle point in this situation is to reduce the weight of the jewelry. Therefore, before giving the necklace to a master, you should find out its exact weight, and then check the weight of the necklace and the remainder (they should give it to you) with the initial result.
The master will simply remove the unwanted links near the lock, connect and solder the jewelry. Sometimes this is done in the presence of the client and takes half an hour.
Theoretically, it is possible to shorten the neck necklace at home, but the expensive jewelry items can suffer from the experiments of homebrewed masters. Jewelers hone their skills for years, have the appropriate solder, a wide range of special equipment and are responsible for the result.
At home, they sometimes shorten a necklace around the neck without cutting it – this is absolutely safe. If we are talking about a thin women’s necklace of simple weave, you can tie it in a knot – and the jewelry will look stylish and provocative.
You can use all kinds of clips, jewelry pins, rings and clips, changing not only the length, but also the design of the jewelry according to your own desires. A real find in this regard looks like the above-mentioned extender with two locks – it gives boundless space for the most daring experiments.
