[Jewelry making - Article 00153] - Re: [Orchid] Drilling holes in pearls

[Helen Hill]

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Hi Karen,

>     The next time, you might actually want to get a set of pearl bits.
>     Instead of being diamond bits (which are ideal for harder stones),
>     a pearl bit is actually shaped a lot like a "spade" bit... imagine
>     an inverted chevron shape with a little point in the center of the
>     flat part. 

    Unfortunately I've run out of very small ordinary drill bits and
    have never bought the type you prescribe so I just used what I had at
    hand. 

>     The key with pearls is to go slow, use water, and use the right
>     kind of bit. 

    I discovered that the key was to go slow, by trial and error and
    because I was using a diamond bit which didn't push the nacre out of
    the way, I used an in and out sort of drilling action so that the
    bit would pull out the nacre. 

>     Also gives a very smooth-sided hole on the inside, which doesn't
>     catch your silk. 

    I did achieve lovely smooth holes but I wasn't using silk, I was
    using silver wire as I wanted pearl links rather than a string of
    pearls. It worked well in the end but I will look into the pearl
    drill bits for next time. 

Helen
UK
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