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The problem is when they bunch up down the thread and you get a gap at the higher end. A knot every five or so cures that and if the thread is thinnish the knot will tuck more or less into the hole and not be very visible. Plus of course if the thread breaks you only have a few pearls to find...

What do you want to do with them?

They look as if they are drilled width-ways towards one end. The finished piece will look much more organised if you ensure that you place the pearls point down as you go along.

Not boasting, you understand. And note that I paid, every bitey bug for miles around got me

Not heard of them but blimey, that is a lifetime's thread!

Those are very heavily dyed. I recommend you wet the pearls (not the silk) and lay them on a white paper towel to check if the colour bleeds out before you wear them. Would not say that they need re-stringing as yet, knots look tight though there is some fluff which is typical of the cheaper...

Oh urgh yes. Sand. (and yes, spectrum) Pearls don't mind getting wet (water is their natural environment), it is the silk which doesn't like it and will rot fairly easily. The problem is the silk inside the pearl which takes a long time to dry. If you had a silk blouse would you leave it...

Clasp and pearls should be proportionate, in metal, size and style. So you wouldn't expect to come across perfect 15mm gold South Sea pearls with a tiny filigree clasp, or conversely, a platinum and diamond clasp on a strand of freshwater potato pearls.

I use synthetic thread (either polyester or nylon) when the pearls are heavy or the necklace long, to obviate stretching, or where the person intends to wear the piece a lot or is one of those people whose skin chemistry seems to destroy silk in days or weeks. But normally I use silk.

Can I refer you back to our conjectures earlier in this thread?

Exactly.

The metalwork is fabulous. It is probably worth much more than the pearls. The findings could be polished, but you might want to deploy a professional polisher to do it. In any case it would need to be re-strung to maximise re-sale value so cleaning and buffing can happen then. Be careful. With...

Any synthetic fibres can get wet. It's silk which rots.

If you are making up pearls and clasps for your own pleasure you go right ahead and do what you want. It is really only we trade people who are expected to match up quality of clasp with quality of pearl.

You probably have in mind the pearl cleaning cloths made by a company around 25 miles away from me https://www.towntalkpolish.com/product/pearl-care-kit-wallet And if you are going to wear strung pearls in sweaty weather consider an artificial silk when you next get them re-strung.

That is not an independent laboratory report.

I think every one of us will have a different method of knotting. Either completely different (you and me) or very slightly as we evolve with practice. How other people knot always fascinates me. I can't resist videoing when I get the chance.

Pattye is the resident knotting and thread expert here. As well as being all-round amazing.

Can you take some photos the next time you get fraying. I'm struggling to understand how knots fray.

I'm still thinking they are over-complicated, design-y and fussy and not very wearable.