[danachit]

Well butter my butt and call me a biscuit!
I just looked at all my mother-in-law's pearls and she had a gorgeous 5.5mm Mikimoto strand finished with bead tips! The pearls had the original price tag and Mikimoto identifier information and they have never been restrung.

Since I've been reading here and absorbing everything I can get my hands on about pearl stringing...I have SO enjoyed investigating old strands tucked away in dusty jewelry boxes. I've yet to see any french bullion, and wasn't expecting to see bead tips on a Mikimoto strand.

How common was this?

[knotty panda]

They must have made bead tips different back in the day than they do now. I find those little loops that are supposed to fit inside the cup, pull out. I prefer the size of the little cups more than clam shells, but I finally acquiesced to the double loop clam shells for stuff I string on "no stretch" thread. Are you going to reknot those Mikis? If you do, inspect that bead tip! Is the loop soldered into the cup? I'm dying to know!

[danachit]

Soldered in the bead tip?? Oh my! Can't wait to dig in to find out now!

[GemGeek]

Originally Posted by knotty panda

They must have made bead tips different back in the day than they do now. I find those little loops that are supposed to fit inside the cup, pull out. I prefer the size of the little cups more than clam shells, but I finally acquiesced to the double loop clam shells for stuff I string on "no stretch" thread. Are you going to reknot those Mikis? If you do, inspect that bead tip! Is the loop soldered into the cup? I'm dying to know!

You're right. It's hard to find the heavy bead tips these days. My first good pearl necklace was made with tiny, but super-heavy 14K bead tips. It broke and someone taught me how to restring it, but I never could get the glue out and open the tips, so I couldn't reuse them. I never did find 14k bead tips as heavy, although I have several sets I ordered in the attempt.

Now I'll be microwaving them in water!

It was around 1986 or 87 when I was taught how to knot. I remember feeling like I received a gift of secret knowledge.

Cheers,
Blaire

[knotty panda]

Oy! Glue! So that's it! You know, I never considered it since I don't use it. I forget not everyone knots like I knot. You were good to recognize learning knotting as an art. When my grandmother taught me, all I wanted to do was go outside and play. Then when I realized what a heritage she passed down to me, she was gone and I couldn't ask questions. Oh well.