[Satine De La Courcel]

Ni Nicole,

Part of the Problem is you are using a bead reamer not a pearl reamer, they are different interuments they do the same thing but are differnt instrumets, I too have bent a qute a few pearl reamers and broken bead reamers in the pearls, I too had the grey dust, it was from the wire, the wire is not real gold, but a gold plate,

As for bearing the pearls with wire, be careful wire will slowly cut through the pearl and weaken it causing it to fracture and break. that is what sounds like is happening to your pearls , when you do ream them be careful and gentle not rough, that to can cause fractures you can not se inside the paerl which will eventually break. Learned that lesson too...

I tend to stay away from pearls on wire unless for an occasional comission piece...

hope this helps some

Good Luck