[Jewelry making - Article 00150] - Re: [Orchid] Drilling holes in pearls

[Helen Hill]

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Hi Lisa,

>     Are you sure you were drilling into PEARLS? They are one of the
>     easiest things to drill into, you don't need a diamond burr to
>     drill them, just a regular drill bit does the trick. 

    Yes they're very real fresh water pearls. The diamond bits I was
    using are just very cheap bits and before using water, they were
    just getting too hot and the tips broke off inside the pearls. I ran
    out of ordinary drill bits, hence using what I had lying around. 

>     I've never needed water to drill pearl holes bigger, although I'm
>     sure the water does keep the mess at bay. 

    It was a blessed relief not to be breathing in the smell which I
    didn't much like. And it was a natural smell rather than a hot
    plastic smell. The pearls were guaranteed natural, cultured fresh
    water pearls and I don't think I've seen artificial pearls in that
    sort of odd shape that the fresh water pearls come in (although I'm
    sure someone will correct me if they do exist). 

    All in all, considering I didn't have the right tools for the job
    (story of my life!), it worked out really well. Next time I plan to
    do it, I'll make sure I've got the right tools but I certainly found
    that doing it under water kept everything cool and kept the mess at
    bay as you say. 

Helen
UK
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