The only thing more addicting than buying pearls is restringing pearls.
I just finished restringing my very first pearl necklace that I bought myself. Well, Mom picked it out at a jewelry show and brought it home for me, but I asked her to find me a nice rope and a disco ball clasp, and I paid for it. Mom could really pick 'em. After 35 years of almost constant wear, these akoyas still look brand new. The nacre is thick and smooth, and the drill holes are clean and easy to thread. The pearls are very well matched.
My only disappointment was that the pearls were smaller than I really wanted. I want 8 mm pearls and these are 5 mm. However, after attending Ruckus, I've decided that this rope is definitely "Hisano worthy" and deserves my love. I'm not selling this one.
P.S. When I restrung on Beader's Secret, the knots are smaller than my previous silk thread, so the necklace got shorter by about an inch or more. It's now 32 inches, which is the length it was when I bought it.