Fully drilled pearls set as pendants/earrings

[Annuta]

Hi all,

I found a couple of decent quality fully drilled loose pearls that I'd like to be set as earrings and a pendant. But, I haven't seen beautiful settings that incorporate fully drilled pearls. Most seem to use half-drilled. Does anyone have any examples of fully drilled pearls set as earrings and/or pendants? I do like the pearls, but setting them worries me.

Thanks!

 

[GemGeek]

Not sure if this is to your taste, but here is a pair of Sea of Cortez pearl earrings....

 

[pearlescence]

As long as the blob at the end of the pin is properly soldered on (I have known them come off but usually immediately) then they are in fact more secure than relying just on a blob of glue

 

[Annuta]

Thank you for the example, GemGeek, the pearls in your picture are very beautiful! This type of setting is pretty much the only style I've seen for a fully drilled pearl, and it's not something I like. I guess this is pretty much the only way to set a fully drilled pearl as a pendant and earrings. It's too bad, because I truly liked that 3 pearl set I found.

 

[Bodecia]

Gorgeous earrings & pendant Gemgeek, Especially love the pendant. But all are stunners.

Dawn
eBay seller ID dawncee333

 

[claudenancy]

Yummy pearls and settings Blaire!

 

[GemGeek]

Thanks! They are from Carolyn Ehret on eBay.

 

[Caitlin]

The photo belongs in the new edition of "Pearls"! I find many of Carolyn's designs to be rather exquisite and your photo makes them look like a million bucks. I don't do gold, but her use of Balinese goldsmiths' work makes me think twice.

 

[newberry]

Wow, GemGeek beautiful earrings and pendant!

 

[pattye]

Lovely, Blaire!
You are fortunate to have some of Carolyn's designs and I love the handmade artisan look in 22k gold, too!

 

[GemGeek]

Thanks! They are very dainty - that's an extreme close-up. I can put that set on and they seem to go with everything, so I'll wear them for a few days without changing. Of course, the color-shifting quality of the Cortez pearls has a lot to do with that.

The pendant is made of tiny south sea keshi, but goes very well with the earrings.

Woo Hoo! Two weeks to ruckusing!

 

[Hanaleimom]

Hi Blaire,
That is a very nice set. I like the little keshi flower. Are the gold granules sturdy? Do they rub off with regular use? I bought a Temple St. Clair earrings and one tiny gold granules on the petal fell off.

 

[waimeamomi]

I've been playing with some designs using shaped and hammered wire to do something different with full drilled pears. You almost have to do something that involves a wire going all the way through, because you have the 2 holes. I've made some, and I know Sarah at Kojima does this a lot, with gemstone beads forming a hoop/drop with the pearl at the center. I've also made earrings and pendants that use gemstone beads on each side of the pearl instead of gold beads - for instance rubies or sapphires. Sorry no pics of those.

 

[GemGeek]

Hi Blaire,
That is a very nice set. I like the little keshi flower. Are the gold granules sturdy? Do they rub off with regular use? I bought a Temple St. Clair earrings and one tiny gold granules on the petal fell off.

I've never had granulation come off before. That's too bad about the earrings. Maybe the manufacturer would be willing to repair it.

 

[GemGeek]

Sheryl, those look faboo!

 

[Hanaleimom]

I've never had granulation come off before. That's too bad about the earrings. Maybe the manufacturer would be willing to repair it.

Thanks for your reply. Luckily it happened a couple days after I bought them. I returned them.

 

[NolaG]

yeah- they look amazing!

 

[purlgurl]

As long as the blob at the end of the pin is properly soldered on (I have known them come off but usually immediately) then they are in fact more secure than relying just on a blob of glue

The blob at the end of the pin is usually the end of the wire, melted. When you heat the wire enough, it simply melts back onto itself, and forms the ball. Also, close to where metal is heated, it becomes more pliable. Perhaps this was the cause of the ball coming off, if there was some space between the ball & the pearl, and it was knocked or pushed, it may have broken at that point. If the pearl is right up against the ball, it protects the softest part of the wire.
I think most of the "Lowly Beaders" earrings are made using fully drilled pearls, so there are sure to be lots of gorgeous design ideas, which could be interpreted in precious metal, from those sources.
Also, I am in total awe of granulation! Those tiny balls are fused to the surface, by heating the metal *almost* to the point where it melts, bearing in mind, that small pieces of gold melt quicker than larger pieces, and the temperature is very hard to gauge, while the whole thing is nearing glowing cherry red. An absoulute triumph, Carolyn!

 

[KarinK]

Hi Annuta,

I made these resently from a pair of semi-dangling earrings I wasn't using. I used pondslime keshis from Kojima and a set of 14K headpins that I wired to the posts. For me it was a very happy solution to not wanting the pearl dangling from a hook.

- Karin

 

[MK Fine Pearls]

Reviving an old thread.
I have a nice SSP, drilled through that I want to turn into a pendant. Is there a website to look for a setting for it? All I see is for a half-drilled pearls.
Thank you in advance!