Best glue as of 2024

[MarineArt]

So, I have been fighting against my OCD as I searched this subject and I suppose I’m just exhausted. I need your help, and I need it bad! I have read so many articles, message boards, and watched videos, and I can’t seem to decide what glue to use for attaching my pearls to posts for pendants. The biggest issue I continue to see is the argument for a two-part epoxy or a superglue. Please help me.

 

[BWeaves]

When a pearl fell out of my ring, the good people here on Pearl-Guide recommended two-part epoxy. It worked great!

 

[multichrome]

It can be so exhausting to look stuff up these days. You just feel bombarded with info and having to decide what’s reliable is hard work.

I was just wanting to ask the same question, too. I have a pendant with a bespoke bail + post, and the pearl is full-drilled. The post is completely straight, so if the glue should fail, the pearl would drop right off. Right now it’s provisionally glued with Loc-Tite gel, but I’m leery of wearing it. The piece belonged to my late mother, so if the pearl went down the sink or under a floorboard I’d be beyond sad.

I can say confidently that superglue is not recommended for any piece you care about, especially the liquid type. It’s very brittle when dry, and can crack and weaken. It doesn’t fill in gaps, if you want that. I think the gel form of superglue is a step above that, but I don’t trust it with Mother’s pearl pendant. I’ve happily used it to glue Czech crystals into metal settings, but only for fun jewelry I myself wear. (It’s not bad for elastic knots, either.)

A step up is probably GS Hypo-Cement. I find it recommended a lot. I don’t love it, though, because the tube is a pain. It comes with a tiny pin to keep glue from leaking out once you have opened the tube. This never works for me, and I end up with glue everywhere. (I wish gel superglue were better, because the control with that is SO GOOD.) I have ADHD, and I’m prone to glue unintended surfaces together, so I really need a controllable delivery system for glue.

Some folks use e6000 glue. It’s strong as anything and you need so very little. However the fumes would make Tweety Bird fall over. You need good ventilation whenever you use glue, but e6000 is especially toxic.

I’ve used two-part epoxy for china, but not for jewelry. It’s very strong. IIRC it fills gaps. I think this would be the best choice if it comes in a tube or bottle that is suitable for using on small surfaces. Most of the epoxy I see basically looks like something I’d use to glue large, non-delicate objects together.

Now I’m going to check my favorite jewelry and watch parts supply, Esslinger, to see what they recommend. In the meantime, I would love a recommendation for a epoxy glue from the pearl people here.

 

[pearlescence]

Glue does not fill gaps and should not be expected to.
All glue work by creating a vacuum which holds the two surfaces together (think of two glasses stuck together)
GS hypo is designed to stay slightly flexible
I use and recommend a good brand of gel superglue (and get the dissolver at the same time in case you glue your thumb to your nose) You need about half of the most minute amount. We've never had a superglue fail

 

[ifutzwithfire]

Try Loctite Super Glue Gel Control. It’s my current favorite for this application and also for gluing sheets of silver together to saw identical pieces (I'm a studio jeweler). Most cyanoacrylate (“super”) glues are quite brittle, but this one is designed to have a bit of flexibility to it so it won’t pop loose at the tiniest flex or vibration. I’ve never had a pearl come loose- in fact when dismantling a piece recently I had to resort to cutting away the silver around the post, carefully grinding away all I could to expose the back of the pearl, and then *drilling* the post out of the pearl! I tried acetone, heat, freezing, and NOTHING was going to convince that stuff to let go!

I use Starbond Extra Thin for peace of mind on knots. I’d never use it on a post because of the aforementioned issue of brittleness and also the fact that its super low viscosity means it wants to flow over the entire surface of a piece. I have been thinking about trying one of their other formulas for various tasks around my workshop, though, as their reputation is fantastic. I’ll report back if I find anything particularly useful in pearling.

 

[ifutzwithfire]

Glue does not fill gaps and should not be expected to.
All glue work by creating a vacuum which holds the two surfaces together (think of two glasses stuck together)
GS hypo is designed to stay slightly flexible
I use and recommend a good brand of gel superglue (and get the dissolver at the same time in case you glue your thumb to your nose) You need about half of the most minute amount. We've never had a superglue fail

There are some glues that are meant to fill gaps in certain applications and formulated to flow into every available crevice- mainly where I’ve seen this is in crushed stone inlay and also woodworking- but in such situations it is decorative and not structural.