I think she was very hurt and wanted to find a way to hurt him back so ripping off the necklace was her way of trying to hurt him they way he hurt her but she also realized she had been wearing this necklace that symbolized a complete and total lie for eleven years and she was disgusted by that and wanting to get it OFF!!!
I think this could also have something to do with it but i’m going with canon fact here – A&E have confirmed that at least PART of the reason Emma wears that necklace is because it was a reminder not to trust again (and i’m pretty sure any other part is related to her sentimental nature). We also have to remember that the necklace was actually a keychain – Emma purposely made it into something to wear, even though:
- he abandoned her
- from her perspective sent her to jail
- was the reason she gave up her child
So i personally think it was exactly what she said it was.
Emma doesn’t beat about the bush or lie – she’s actually very honest. And i think it came from that part of her. Emma has always been forthright about anything and everything, except for when she told Henry his father was dead, and she doesn’t volunteer info about herself. Emma values honesty, and i think it was her first instinct to tell the truth about it, and i’m sure a certain satisfaction came from that.
When Neal asked why she still wore the keychain, she reached up like she didn’t even realize it was still there.
I think he just caught her off guard, personally. She put that necklace on deliberately every day, as a representation of all the pain he caused her and also as a representation of their good times.
I’ve said it before, i identify with Emma a LOT. I also wear a piece of jewellery that has got both positive and negative connotations.
Keeper of Captain Swan's first kiss