[theamericanlotus]

hey all, I am doing in store pearl stringing now. Can you tell me some average retail charges for silk strands with knotting in between. I am told something like .50 cents per knot. etc. clasp fee?
Any real world feedback?
thanks again
Michael

[jshepherd]

Hi Michael,

The prices in downtown Los Angeles range from $7 to $22 per 18-inch strand. For shorter strands discounts are not typically given, although longer than 18 will always increase the cost. This is in a wholesale jewelry district, however, and I know many retail stores charge as much as $3 per inch (and then send them to downtown Los Angeles, of course).

Oh, and one other thing. I noticed you have posted this in the South Sea forum. South Sea and Tahitian stringing will typically cost a bit more than standard akoya and freshwater.

[knotty panda]

Dear Michael: Hello and welcome to the wonderful world of knotting! I charge an initial set-up fee of $45. That includes prepping the thread, covers my findings and tools, gives the little pearls a gentle cleaning, individually cutting the pearls and laying them out on the beadboard in proper sequence, cleaning the end pearls of glue if I can safely, and inspecting the clasp. Prices here in Florida can go from $1 a knot to $3-$7 per inch. After my set-up fee, I charge $1/knot. Any redesigning is extra. I don't know how that would equate to your economy and market. It's a guideline and you can adjust for your market. P.S. If you adjust up, let me know and I'll move!

[theamericanlotus]

Thanks you guys and gals. Wow, a big differance from the LA jewelry district to florida. I am an ex-Californian and was having my strands done there in LA at these prices, but now I am in the mountains of Colorado, and decided to fill my days stringing while I watch my store. Must admit, Nuttin worse than goofing a knot on your last pearl.
A bit of a delima to single knott on the smaller and cheaper FW pearls.

Any advice on stringing the more budget strands?
Thanks again
Michael

[knotty panda]

You know, Caitlin has been bugging the heck out of me to do a video or some other such thing. There really is no reason why you can't knot professionally the first time and every time.

Oh, as far as the difference in price is concerned, I'm more of a novelty act than anything else. People come here to watch me work and we sit and chat and have coffee or tea or a pop or whatever. Takes up the afternoon. Twice I've gone to people's homes to knot their pearls. If it's a simple string job, necklace or bracelet, they can have it that day, and they like that. I always know what I'm in for before I even see the piece. They are usually repair jobs for name branded pearls. Most times, repair jobs on freshwater pieces, the people balk at my prices. Which is ok, because when they start asking silly questions like "why do you have to reknot the whole thing? Can't you just ..." When they say that, "can't you just" line, I really don't care if I do their job or not. The other line I love is, "but it's only an 18" necklace!" never mind that it's a two-strand necklace. Which is why I charge by the knot.

-------------------------

I really didn't answer your question, now did I? Do random symmetry knotting on anything under 5MM. I guess you could also do that on larger pearls if they just aren't worth the time to individually knot.

[purepearls]

In Houston, the average per inch price ranges from $2-$4.

[cyens]

wow...
Here in montreal I'm charging 0,50 to 0,74$ per inch.
Well I mean also they wouldn't pay more I guess.

[Caitlin]

Hi American Lotus
How are you coming along with the stringing?

[jerin]

Originally Posted by cyens

wow...
Here in montreal I'm charging 0,50 to 0,74$ per inch.
Well I mean also they wouldn't pay more I guess.

Well, just don´t you sell yourself too cheap as it is quite a lot of work if you are doing a nice job!

[Nerida]

I haven't read this thread until it was bumped recently. I have been getting asked to restring pearls for customers who buy new pearls from me. Sometimes this has just come from changing the length of a necklace they've bought (no charge), to restringing granny's favourites. Up until now, I have charged a flat fee of $45 for an 18 inch strand,so long as the old clasp is used - and the pearls have all been 8 -9mm or larger (haven't done too many..) - so I have been happy with that. Also, both the customers and I know that knotting is new to me, so I don't think I should be charging top $$.

BUT a lovely repeat customer asked me to do granny's pearls - and they are a graduated strand of old akoyas and they are very very small! (I should post a pic). All I can think is all those knots for $45??

I like Knotty's approach of a price per knot - I think that is the fair way to do it.

Thanks for all the advice though in this thread - I can't get over how the forum seems to answer more questions for me!

[laurenb]

Not surprisingly, DFW prices are similar to Houston's. The jeweler restringing price seems to average $3.50-$5 per inch. Beading is very popular here and I wouldn't be surprised if some of the independent bead shop employees/owners who are handy with a knotting tool are willing to undercut jewelers.

Question for those familiar with bead shops in other parts of the country-- is Swarovski popular everywhere? I've been hunting around for silk sources and it seems stock tends to be 60% Swarovski crystals/pearls, about 30% natural semiprecious, with a few strands of dreadful* dyed freshwaters included in the remaining 10%.

I'm asking on this thread because I frequently see semiprecious rounds knotted up like pearls, which would mean the skill of knotting is more common than I'd assumed.

*I'm not being snarky-- zero luster, dye caked in the dings, very small with blobby shape.

[Cathybear]

They might be buying them pre-strung drom China.

[knotty panda]

This isn't to say ALL bead shops have sloppy knotting, but I haven't seen a bead shop who will professionally knot. By that I mean, holding their own up to a retail store. I think the worst example I saw for a bead shop was knotted on that Griffin cord, perhaps a size 3. Ugly, ugly job.

Yes, knotters are EVERYWHERE! We have a jeweler's "village" for lack of a better word here. Any time of day you can walk in and see 2 or 3 women knotting.