Pearls are one of history’s most cherished gems. Pearl owners are protective of their precious stones and want to keep their treasured strands in beautiful shape. By offering them affordable restringing services, you’ll benefit both your customers and your store’s bottom line. In Part I of this series, we outlined the benefits of pearl restringing and discussed how you can start your restringing service. In Part II, we showed you how to restring pearls using the Tri-Cord Knotter method. In this third and final part, we will lead you through the traditional tweezers-and-awl method.
You’ll need an awl, fine-tipped precision tweezers, fine-tipped precision scissors, diamond-plated bead reamer or a pearl drill, silk bead cord, French wire (bullion), beading boards, clasps, and jeweler’s cement or glue. The tweezers-and-awl method begins after the final step of stringing the beginning clasp. (Note: For details on preliminary steps, stringing the beginning clasp, and stringing the ending clasp, see “Restringing Pearls, Part II,” JCK, November 2003, p. 106.)
Dawn Nials is a product manager and Yvonne M. Padilla is a technical support and bead-stringing instructor for Rio Grande, Albuquerque, N.M.