Repair & stringing 14mm So Sea

[pearl-man]

I've 4 So Sea rd 14mm that were redrilled on one side with 2.3mm hole about 6 or 7mm deep. They were used for the female end of a mystery clasp. Any ideas on how to plug this hole so these four could still be used in a 19" knotted strand.
pm

[pattye]

Whoa, that is an interesting question! Hopefully Cliclasp will check in here. With pearls that size, I can see why you would want to use them. What quality are they? I know you didn't ask me, but I would be inclined to drill them on through, line with gold, and wear singly or grouped on a gold chain----maybe space the pearls on the chain with some 18k large granulated beads in between---

[jshepherd]

I've 4 So Sea rd 14mm that were redrilled on one side with 2.3mm hole about 6 or 7mm deep. They were used for the female end of a mystery clasp. Any ideas on how to plug this hole so these four could still be used in a 19" knotted strand.
pm

You could plug it, but only if you are going to use it at the ends of a strand. If you still have the female ends of the mystery clasp you can cut off the side of the cap and string through it, knotting on the original open end. If you finished it with french wire or something else with gold it would still look like a nice, intentional finish.

[Mikeyy]

Maybe you could insert a small gold bushing on either side with a hook on the outside of each.

[imanit]

You could try to block holes by "bead algners". Artbeads have few models. It wouldn't be a "classic" strand, but you could do something interesting adding something like this on the "big hole" end of the pearl ans matching spacer on the other end.... It would work with earrings making too.....

http://www.artbeads.com/sa-5693.html

[pattye]

Imanit,

I hadn't heard of bead aligners before, but what a great idea! More than once I have wished for something like that!

[Pearl Dreams]

Love the bead aligners idea! Thanks for that link!

[pearl-man]

Thanks all for the hints.
I had tried to plug a sample junk pearl with a 2.3mm gen pearl and had some success using epoxy and grinding down and polishing BUT disclosure of this might make the strand similar to a laser drilled diamond. Words of the jeweler ....quite accurate I think....
To use a aligner...I'll have to think.
To use the pearl with the tube in it at the ends and french wire is a good suggestion I understand right away.
The necklace will be too short to use the 4 pearls for ears.
Besides the neck is 19" and the pearls are perfectly round and clean.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR THE SUGGESTIONS.
Mystery clasps are OK but require repeated restringing
because they wear quickly. I have seen only 1 set using a ball bearing....but I lost track of it.

PM
THANKS!!!

[pearl-man]

Whoa, that is an interesting question! Hopefully Cliclasp will check in here. With pearls that size, I can see why you would want to use them. What quality are they? I know you didn't ask me, but I would be inclined to drill them on through, line with gold, and wear singly or grouped on a gold chain----maybe space the pearls on the chain with some 18k large granulated beads in between---

THANKS BUT I have to restring the necklace which belongs to the jlr and she wants to use the mystery clasps. PM

[pearl-man]

You could plug it, but only if you are going to use it at the ends of a strand. If you still have the female ends of the mystery clasp you can cut off the side of the cap and string through it, knotting on the original open end. If you finished it with french wire or something else with gold it would still look like a nice, intentional finish.

THANKS The female end of the mystery is a tube open both ends and threaded about 2-3 mm down the inside.
I never thought of stringing thru' it, might work.

PM

[pearl-man]

Whoa, that is an interesting question! Hopefully Cliclasp will check in here. With pearls that size, I can see why you would want to use them. What quality are they? I know you didn't ask me, but I would be inclined to drill them on through, line with gold, and wear singly or grouped on a gold chain----maybe space the pearls on the chain with some 18k large granulated beads in between---

Thur
I removed the mystery clasp parts fromthe pearls. Cleaned out the holes and restrung. the Jlr and I decided to resell the same way they were. As it turned out with a long dia clasp the finished length was 20" . Each time a 3 pearl section was removed the necklace shortened 2" +/-
So in conclusion it could be worn as a 16-18-20. Tedious but sales worthy. Quality was suburb....smooth..round...white with one or two very small indentations on each pearl. Not visible at reading distance.,
pearlman