Drill holes too small!!

[~Crystal~]

Firstly, I apologise if this post is in the wrong place... but I just didn't know where I should put it!!

I got two pearls in the post today that I had won off ebay (augustus) and as requested, he had half drilled them for me. Thing is, I just tried to put in a few of the gold findings I have left over to see how they would look and they've made the drill holes too small.... the findings don't fit!!

I've never had this problem before. The other times that they have half drilled pearls for me, things have fitted absolutely perfectly.

Now I don't know what to do.

I have never drilled pearls by myself- I don't have any of the equipment or knowledge and I don't particularly want to try in case I damage them (one is a south sea pearl, the other a tahitian). Yet I can't use them unless something is done!! I have tried with a number of findings (I have some pendant ones and a few really tiny mini ones from Bella findings house) and nothing will work...

Does anyone have any ideas about what I should do?!?! Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

 

[pearlescence]

Do you know what size your posts are? Sometimes half drilling is done to 1mm but also sometimes to a standard 0.7.
Have you emailed Agustus to ask what size drill they used?
Where are you?

 

[CLICLASP]

I think this kind of handtool can help
http://www.beading.com.my/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=224_424&products_id=3085
http://www.jewelerssupplies.com/product2432.html
http://www.2ndstreetbeads.com/poiew/product_info.php?cPath=94&products_id=1721
I am not advising about the sellers, but about the tool

 

[jshepherd]

If they are already half drilled, it's really easy to open them up just a bit with another drill bit that is the correct size. The findings are going to vary, so it is always safer to drill conservatively. We have everything that is pre-drilled (akoya and freshwater studs) drilled at 0.8. But we have findings that have posts as large at 1.2 mm.

 

[pattye]

The battery driven reamer (#2) in the links Anna posted is similar to the one I use. Works very well, just put a little water in a shallow dish and hold the pearl between your fingers. Practice on freshwater pearls, and test frequently to see if the hole is large enough. It's a handy and inexpensive tool to have on hand.

 

[Agustus-Collection]

Hi, i am sorry to hear that the drill holes are to small for the use of your findings. We always, if not differently requested, drill the pearls with a 0.8 - 0.9mm drill.

We have put a little guide together regarding this matter, which you can find here: http://reviews.ebay.com/How-a-Hole-of-a-Pearl-or-Stone-Bead-can-be-enlarged?ugid=10000000175797419

You also could have emailed us, we are almost 24/7 there to respond to any problem.

If you have no possibility to get them re-drilled near you, you are most welcome to send them back to us and we will re-drill them in the right size needed.

In the future, make sure to check the sizes of the findings and let us know in what size the drill hole has to be and we are more than happy to drill your pearls in the size corresponding to the findings you will use.

Sven