The Necklace Clasp Hack You Can Do With A Paper Clip

Coco Chanel once said, "Before you leave the house, look in the mirror and take one thing off." However, there's nothing wrong with embracing maximalism. Whether you're rocking chunky earrings or dainty bracelets, as long as there's room, we're wearing it. A bit of jewelry can elevate every outfit, no matter what you're wearing. Gold hoops or some layered rings transform a basic outfit into something unique.

If you like to switch up your accessories constantly or have signature items that you wear on the regular, then you know that there's nothing worse than one of your prized pieces breaking. This is even more likely to happen if the jewelry happens to be inexpensive or old.

When a necklace starts to wear down, the first part to go is the clasp. This is the part of the necklace you're touching the most often, opening and closing it at the start of the day and near the end. When this happens, you don't need to toss the whole thing. A paper clip is enough for you to keep wearing your favorite necklace.

For a temporary fix for a broken necklace clasp, find a paper clip that matches the shade or metal finish of the clasp of your necklace. Take the paper clip and open it up, sliding it through the hole of the clasp. Once the clasp is sitting in the middle of the paper clip, grab the other part of the necklace clasp and push the other part of the paper clip through. For something that's a bit more stable, you can use a safety pin in lieu of a paper clip.

If you don't want to dole out the cash to get your necklace repaired at a jewelry store, there are methods for fixing the broken clasp on your own. First, you need to find a new necklace clasp and jump rings that match the size and color of your current one – Amazon has plenty of options. Using jewelry or needle nose pliers, open up the jump rings and take them off.

Open up the new jump ring and use the pliers to attach it to the necklace. With the jump ring still open, take the clasp and put it onto the jump ring. Grab the other jump ring and place it on the other side of the chain.

If you find that your necklace clasps or other accessories tend to break often, then you've probably been treating your jewelry wrong. Being gentle with your jewelry is the key to increasing their longevity and saving money. To take care of jewelry, organization is important; store it instead of going to bed with it or leaving it out somewhere. Get a case such as the Hatori Leather Jewelry Organizer to put your jewelry away.

Keep your accessories clean by taking them off before you hop in the shower or apply lotion. Things like water, skincare, and perfumes can tarnish the metal on your jewelry. If there's dust or debris, wipe it down using a soft cloth and a mixture of mild dish soap and warm water. Rinse off and then gently dry it with another soft cloth.

To maintain the color of the jewelry, keep it out of the sun as the light can cause the colors to fade. If you have both silver and gold jewelry, store them in separate compartments of your jewelry box. When placed together, the metals can rub off and become damaged.