Unglueing pearls

Wouldn't putting something like cotton wool in the bottom of container before pearl and setting help the safety aspect. I am sure I must have some that need the same type of treatment so will have a go and let you all know the results.

Where does one buy rubbing alcohol from?

Dawn
eBay ID dawncee333
 
Hi Bodecia,
You should be able to find rubbing alcohol at any ******** or drug store.
Good luck.
Marianne
 
Hi Marianne,

Thanks but what does ****** mean and I am not at all sure we can buy rubbing alchohol in Australia. Maybe in a specialist shop but not sure at all about that.

Can you enlightened me :0 please.

Thanks.
 
Do you have denatured alcohol? It is just hiding under a different name. It's what you put on a cotton ball to disinfect a site- as for using a syringe.
 
danachit said:
Come on Jeremy....I've been sitting here with popcorn in hand over a year and still haven't heard from you on this one. :rolleyes:

It sounds like a good idea, natural and all. (well, sans the micro-waves) I just need to remove some old glue from a setting and some carved coral flowers. Is acetone fine to use?
Click to expand...

I've used the hot water method a few times on really, really stubborn findings (you know which I am referring to, GemGeek). But for the most part (especially just removing excess glue) I just use attack on the end of a Q-tip.
 
I sat quietly by at the first mention, but I was thinking of the same obstinate adhesive and how hard Jeremy worked to get the pearls off the findings. I'm wearing them right now, as a matter of fact. They're the lavender metallics set in rose gold and they were well worth the effort. ;)
 
I'm bumping this up as I'm about to try to get a pin out of a pearl! I'd glued in the pin with a circle top .. like for a charm.. and I'd wanted a nice tight fit but when I glued it in and then tried to gently turn it...the top snapped off. It's a drop shape and one of two for earrings so I don't want to drill a hole next to it..but the darn pin broke just below the surface of the hole. I'm gong to try a bit of drilling at the top to widen in and hopefully get some tweezers on it if I can get the glue to release. bummer. Wish me luck :(
 
Ugh!!! That's frustrating! I hope soaking works!
 
Just drill out the metal. It'll come out easily if you are careful to line up the bit correctly. Use the drill bit the size of the hole
 
Well ..I tried the microwave and hoped to loosen it up but it broke too far down to get a grip. So I tried to drill it out - using my goggles JP ..using my goggles .. haha .. I too am paranoid about bits of metal flying around. But other than just chewing it up a bit ..it's still in there. .and the hole got wider ...arggghhh ..damn these unsteady hands ! I'll just use the one as a little charm or perhaps a mate will show up . I'm done with it for now !
I think I was just distracting myself from,starting a 44" Tahitian Harvey strand for someone ...ugh I'm trying some of Pattye's thicker Beader Secreat as the holes are a bit bigger in these. Have you guys used the heavier thread ? I'm assuming two strands is ok ...these are pretty heavy as they are 10mm 16mm .
 
Katbran said:
Well ..I tried the microwave and hoped to loosen it up but it broke too far down to get a grip. So I tried to drill it out - using my goggles JP ..using my goggles .. haha .. I too am paranoid about bits of metal flying around. But other than just chewing it up a bit ..it's still in there. .and the hole got wider ...arggghhh ..damn these unsteady hands ! I'll just use the one as a little charm or perhaps a mate will show up . I'm done with it for now !
I think I was just distracting myself from,starting a 44" Tahitian Harvey strand for someone ...ugh I'm trying some of Pattye's thicker Beader Secreat as the holes are a bit bigger in these. Have you guys used the heavier thread ? I'm assuming two strands is ok ...these are pretty heavy as they are 10mm 16mm .
Click to expand...

I'm sorry that didn't work...try soaking again as maybe it is loosened up a bit?
On the Beader's Secret, I LOVE the heavier thread for larger pearls. I've restrung my Eddies on it as well as my favorite strand of blue Tahitians.
 
I used 2 20# this time in the Smoke as the pearls are all silver shades. I'm a bit concerned that the knots look too big. I did only tie one knot and I wondered if two needles might make the knots a bit smaller. I might experiment. Maybe my concern is just that I'm used to the smaller thread.. although he 3 30# does give a big knot as well and I've had to do that in the past.. or if the knot looked too big then I just run a 30# through all the pearls and then string normally with 2 #30 .. so you end up knotting around the centre thread. That takes up the space if you understand what I'm so poorly explaining lol

Jersey P - Thanks, but I think that pin is actually wedged into the pearl tightly and the glue really is no longer the problem... I think the pin is just screwed in there. But when I get rid of half of it i'll make a new fat wire pin for it and use it as a charm or something. lol Just annoying...I'm too impatient. So JP do you used two strands as well , run them both through the pearls and knot? Or just use the single strand of the large thread?
 
I did 2 Tahitian ropes last summer combining pearls from a number of different strands and sources. The strand withe the smallest pearls had huge drill holes compared to the others. I ended up using 2 strands of #30 and one strand of #20 all knotted as one (not half hitched) and it worked out nicely. It was more supple than 2 strands of #20 and the knots were large enough for the crazy little pearls with the big drill holes, yet not so large as to look klonky.
 
Hmmmmm....

I guess I'm not worried about the chipped pearl at this point so boiling water could be an option.

Isn't rubbing alcohol bad for pearls? I would think its like hairspray. I may have paint thinner & goo be gone I could try as the pearl is chipped anyway but I;d rather not hurt it as its already sad with its chip.

I tried hot tap water wo success. I have a soldering pen iron & could heat near the post. Gosh if its plat is should take quite alot of heat.
Sti;; I want the setting so don;t want to mar it. The pearl well its cursed & needs an exorcism...:LOL

I guess I have a few days to get attack & figure this out & right now I'm more concerned that the plat setting is fake than the chipped pearl.

Maybe time is best well spent on dragging them around again but its daunting that with 4 jewelers 2 at least GIA I can't ge t good answer.

Gosh $85 spent might be good to get rid of them as fakes but I want to really know.
 
Last edited:
I was worried but was told to use hot water not warm tap water. Two came off easy, the other two had to get hot to the core of the bead. Fire up the tea kettle.
 
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