advice needed on gilding a damaged WSS pearl

[StarryPearl]

My apologies if this is not the board to post. I browsed all boards' names and couldn't find a better place.

So I recently got a WSS whose surface was partially damaged during drilling. Of course I can't throw it away. After some painstaking thinking, I finally decided to gild the damaged area using 24k gold.

I did some research and learned I should use adhesive size, then gold leaf, then probably I want to seal/coat it afterwards as I want to use it on a necklace and there will be a lot abrasion. But ...

1. Shall I seal the damaged surface first using some kind of primer? The damaged surface is very flat to naked eye and I prefer not to buy too many bottles that I won't need in future. If I have to, what primer would you recommend?

2. I learned the after seal may turn milky in 3 to 5 years. So, can it be easily removed (like using nail polish?) and the pearl remain fine so that I can redo the gilding?

3. If I'm not satisfied with the result of 1-layer gilding, is there anything particular I should pay attention to to do multiple layers? So far in my imagination multiple layers' is just repetitions of how 1 layer is done.

4. I also thought of using glitter-glue - it's for my own wear anyway, and I don't mind add something bling. But it won't last, will it? How about glue + glitter + seal coat?

I hope you don't feel my questions are weird. I guess this is not an everyday technique, and I would appreciate if anyone that has experience or knowledge doing this would share some advice or opinions.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

If the pearl itself is not very valuable, and the area of damage is small, what about just painting over the damaged area with a bit of nail polish? I recall that Caitlin used to use a dab of nail polish sometimes to cover a tiny black pitted area.

If you decide to use nail polish maybe you could use a pearlized white.

 

[StarryPearl]

If the pearl itself is not very valuable, and the area of damage is small, what about just painting over the damaged area with a bit of nail polish? I recall that Caitlin used to use a dab of nail polish sometimes to cover a tiny black pitted area.

If you decide to use nail polish maybe you could use a pearlized white.

How genius!! That's a great idea! I will remember to use this method in future. Thanks a lot, Pearl Dreams!

For this particular pearl, I wanted to gild it because it is a fun baroque shape and the damaged area is where the "fun" lies. I pitied the pearl couple of weeks until I figured that I could gild to highlight that part instead of mourning loosing it.

 

[CathyKeshi]

StarryPearl, if you do a search you may be able to find some examples of our friend Caitlin's nail polish pearls ... I remember meeting teal, and purple and pink? at pearl parties. I seem to recall there are photos here somewhere. She passed on a few years ago, and we miss her dearly; you'll find all kinds of interesting posts under her name Also if you haven't seen, for inspiration, Eliko Pearl sells Maki-e pearls, lacquered and painted with karat golds, sometimes referred to as Mosaic pearls. There are some examples here on PG too, in various threads. The technique they use is a very old Japanese artistry secret, but they do use real gold, and they might provide some inspiration. Here's a sample: My own Maki-e pearl, chosen and set for me by Oceanscove (forever THANKS, Sarah!).

 

[CathyKeshi]

Argh, this isn't my week to post photos!. The bottom photo is another pearl, repeat images ... and now I can't delete it. Sorry! The one on the chain is mine. The shiny bits are little tiny chips of abalone shell, glued/lacquered in.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Cathy,
Did you try Edit Post > Go Advanced > Manage Attachments to remove the extra photo?

 

[CathyKeshi]

I did now, Thanks, Pearl Dreams !

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Glad it helped!

That is a gorgeous pendant, may I add.

 

[CathyKeshi]

Thank you . I am so in debt of gratitude to Sarah from Oceanscove. She knew I wanted one, and kindly offered to look last year while she was at Tucson Gem Show. We were texting back and forth "live" on the cell phones, tray and trays of "what do you like", and in the end I said "Choose for me". I was ecstatic when she texted me a photo of the one she bought with me in mind and "no obligation if you don't like it" ... there was a lot of joyful yelling here LOL. It was EXACTLY what I wanted. That photo was taken to show off the top inlay and paint, but the pearl itself is very very pretty too. We agreed to set it in a simple 18K ring to wear on my chain from Venice .

 

[Pearl Dreams]

I love a simple ring bail that can accommodate my thicker, longer chains. It makes pendants more versatile.

 

[Marianne]

Oh my goodness, Kathy. That is one gorgeous piece of pearl art!

 

[lilliefuzzysocks]

Love this CathyKeshi. How big is the pearl?

 

[CortezPearls]

Glad it helped!

That is a gorgeous pendant, may I add.

I do have to pour in...IT IS A BEAUTIFUL PENDANT!

 

[la_corsetiere]

To weigh in on StarryPearl’s inquiry, I do think you should seal the gilded area, as it would likely wear off with friction. A clear 2-part epoxy resin would be durable and unlikely to turn cloudy.

 

[pattye]

Thanks for bringing us back to the topic, Sheri, it's hilarious how quickly we go off the rails when a gorgeous pearl appears! lol

 

[CortezPearls]

Great suggestion la-corsetiere!
Glad to see you back!

 

[JerseyPearl]

View attachment 77715StarryPearl, if you do a search you may be able to find some examples of our friend Caitlin's nail polish pearls ... I remember meeting teal, and purple and pink? at pearl parties. I seem to recall there are photos here somewhere. She passed on a few years ago, and we miss her dearly; you'll find all kinds of interesting posts under her name Also if you haven't seen, for inspiration, Eliko Pearl sells Maki-e pearls, lacquered and painted with karat golds, sometimes referred to as Mosaic pearls. There are some examples here on PG too, in various threads. The technique they use is a very old Japanese artistry secret, but they do use real gold, and they might provide some inspiration. Here's a sample: My own Maki-e pearl, chosen and set for me by Oceanscove (forever THANKS, Sarah!).

Oh I love seeing this pearl in action!!
Eliko is the US supplier (trade only) for these wonderful pearls. They are each so unique and little works of art.

 

[StarryPearl]

Hi Cathy,
Thank you for your informative reply! Your pendant is such a piece of ART! Thank you for sharing the picture and your experience with OceanCove. I wasn't able to find Caitlin's nail polish pearls but I found her abalone nail polish, which is both fantastic and very interesting. I searched Eliko Maki-e pearls and got to this page: https://www.elikopearl.com/specialty-pearls/ . It seems customers have to inquire first instead of browsing and choosing? Not sure how that would work when customers do not have something in mind. The photos on the website are extremely delicate and amazing.

Hi la_corsetiere, thanks very much for the epoxy advice! I will give it a try.

Thanks for taking time to read my post and reply! Anyone has any idea about Q1,3,4?

 

[lisa c]

Starry, would it be possible to show us a photo of the pearl and the damaged area?

 

[JerseyPearl]

Hi Cathy,
Thank you for your informative reply! Your pendant is such a piece of ART! Thank you for sharing the picture and your experience with OceanCove. I wasn't able to find Caitlin's nail polish pearls but I found her abalone nail polish, which is both fantastic and very interesting. I searched Eliko Maki-e pearls and got to this page: https://www.elikopearl.com/specialty-pearls/ . It seems customers have to inquire first instead of browsing and choosing? Not sure how that would work when customers do not have something in mind. The photos on the website are extremely delicate and amazing.

Hi la_corsetiere, thanks very much for the epoxy advice! I will give it a try.

Thanks for taking time to read my post and reply! Anyone has any idea about Q1,3,4?

StarryPearl, Eliko is a company that works with trade members only. They do not sell directly to consumers.