natural pearls drilling

[MILLEPERLE]

Using the Japanese drilling machine I keep crack the pearls!! (conch, clam, cassis)..
There is anybody that can advise me how to drill them without damages?
thank you
Marco

[pearlescence]

Are you changing the drill bits often (after every pearl)? They get blunt very quickly
You may be overheating the pearl. try drilling for three or four seconds then stopping to let the pearl cool down for a minute or longer

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Are you drilling wet or dry?

[jshepherd]

Non-nacreous pearls are much more difficult to drill. Dave's question important; wet or dry?

[dmj]

wet!

i use a dental drill that works on air pressure and ads water while drilling because these drills go extreme fast and don't get hot its easier t drill with out cracks

also its better to use a hollow drill in a very small size

i do still think not drilling these pearls is better to keep the value

[lisa c]

Wow, Daniel, is that a very expensive set up?

[dmj]

haha yes its not cheap it does work verry nice and because the costumer are paying a high price for there jewelry i think its important to have the best tools

when i work with my own stones and pearls i dont really care if i break them :P only when they are a costumers i better keep them nice :P

i have the nsk presto aqua

http://www.nsk-nakanishi.co.jp/en/de.../pr050202.html

[dmj]

i actually dont use it that much a good new diamond drill does most of the jobs only sometimes you need to be a little more careful as with conch pearls etc

[CLICLASP]

I saw this thread a bit late, but I did drill a natural pearl and here is how I did:
- low speed 1500 tours,
- hollow diamond bit
- water flow through the hollow bit constantly
- count "one, two" down and "three" up the drilling
I did it that way already and there were no crack, it works, but it is better not to drill ayway.
I have seen the most amazing natural pearls at Baseworld by Lançon and they made a private visit of their collection to me, they do not drill, the setting is intended to "wrap" around the pearl and has to be clever so that not to look like plain wired jewelry.
Good luck

[pearlescence]

As a comment on drilling in general - I happened on a very skilled pearl supplier drilling some 20mm + stick pearls lengthways last week . He was using a standard two chuck pearl drill and the bits were simple chisels which he sharpened on a spinnng whetstone after every few pearls

[waimeamomi]

Great pic, Wendy. I've wondered how they drill some of the very odd shapes and thin shapes in freshies.