New beader and pearl obssesionista in town... needing your help :-)

[Pearl Dreams]

A catastrophe indeed, eolian pearls! How upsetting!

Let me just address the crimp for now. Your photo shows the crimp just holding one strand of wire. Is this the way you secured the ends? The crimps are meant to be used this way: the wire passes through the clasp and back through the crimp, and that is when you flatten it.

The crimps come in 2 sizes and you need to use the correct size for the wire. From the Via Murano website:

Sizing: Use the .019 size for beading wire up to and icluding .019 size wire. When utilizing .024 size wire, use our .024 Twisted Tornado Crimp® ULTRAPLATE®. It is uniquely designed for .024 wire only.

http://www.viamurano.com/store/pc/Twisted-Tornado-Crimp-br-UltraPlate-c128.htm

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Also let me flip your photo:

View attachment 56675

 

[eolian pearls]

Thank you Pearl Dreams, I took the picture of the fallen crimp just to show how it looks now, when securing it I did pass the wire back through the crimp again and flattened it afterwards...Using crimp tool...I also used 0.19 crimp with 0.12 inch wire...

 

[Pearl Dreams]

As to the pearl with the 3mm holes...do you like leather cord for a rustic, casual look? I used "pearl leather earrings" as search terms on Etsy to see examples of what some people have done.

https://www.etsy.com/search?q=pearl leather earrings

If you prefer metal, You can make your own finding with thicker gauge wire. If you make a flat spiral from the wire under the hole, it won't slip through the hole. Or you could make a loop and hang a dangle of something else under the Tahitians-- another pearl, or a charm or whatever.

Or you could use a head pin and use Bali spacers between the head of the pin and the pearl, to keep the pin from passing through the hole.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Thank you Pearl Dreams, I took the picture of the fallen crimp just to show how it looks now, when securing it I did pass the wire back through the crimp again and flattened it afterwards...Using crimp tool...I also used 0.19 crimp with 0.12 inch wire...

I have used very fine wire successfully with the smaller tornado crimp. Is it possible you didn't flatten the crimp sufficiently? I suggest testing the other items you have made using this gauge of wire and crimps...tug on the clasp and see if it begins to come loose from the crimp. If so, flatten the crimp more.
It's probably a good idea to test each piece after stringing, before wearing it.

Also-- did your wire cross within the crimp? I make sure the two bits of wire lie side by side.

 

[eolian pearls]

Thank you PD, I just tested another piece, I pulled the wire from both sides - the clasp and after the clasp, no falling apart BUT as I was using quite a pressure I think I stretched the wire because there is definitely more space between the beads....I will do more testing, even using more pressure just to see, I am a bit paranoid now...

Thank you also on the leather idea...I like the casual look of leather and pearls...the pearls are half drilled but this is not a problem...will think about this possibility...

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Wait...you said you flattened the crimp using a crimp tool? Tornado crimps are not supposed to be flattened using crimping pliers-- just regular flat pliers.

 

[eolian pearls]

OMG...yes, I am using crimping tool..so this is the big mistake?!!! Thank you Pearl Dreams!!! I can go to sleep peacefully now...I have been obsessing about this whole day! I will rework the other pieces and just to be sure I will post a picture of the flattened crimp ASAP... Thank you for your prompt& competent investigative work! This forum is the best!!!

 

[Pearl Dreams]

There you go! Easy fix.

 

[Katbran]

Yes that would explain your problem..I wondered why the space Inside The crimp was so open . Just a nice firm squeeze with the smooth flat pliers will do it... to super hard as some Tornadoes will break if you overdo it . A firm tug will show if its holding. Good luck.

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Katbran is right.. . firmly but not too hard. Also, the crimps that you already used the crimp tool on may be brittle. You may want to replace them entirely with new crimps (but that would mean restringing.)

 

[Lugana]

What a great investigation work Pearl Dreams!

 

[Ladonna Rama]

adore all your pearls (esp your tahitians and blue akoyas) and thanks for sharing your wonderful creations!

 

[eolian pearls]

It has been such a long time lovely pearl community!!!!

I have been admiring all your pearls regularly but never got to any updates on my projects, but now, I find myself on a super rainy vacation and it is perfect occasion for posting a few pics

Remember that tiny Vietnamese akoya keshi strand? I paired it with my last peacock tahitian from Jac and it became a dainty necklace that I love dearly...so hard to take a picture of it when I’m wearing it though...Made a little bracelet to kind of go with it as well... Future project will be remake this with Beadalon wire...

There was also a pair of tahitian drops with big drill holes...they ended up being mismatched earrings for my sister

Some new very much appreciated babies in my collection are multicolored Vietnamese akoyas from Wendy - love love these, once again the story goes that I bought one strand and when I received it immediately ordered another one...They were definitely the ones I wore the most last summer...

As for the tahitians, I got one multicolor baroque tahitian necklace that I deconstructed and made into bracelets - I tend to wear those more I realized and it is the only way I can actually see my pearls and meditate on their colors

Another very recent addition is a pair of earrings from Margaret of Simply Adorned, lovely lovely blue tahitians with multicolored sapphires...

 

[eolian pearls]

Here are the earrings from Margaret... they are 10,9mm...beautiful colors, I love the pairing with the sapphire cascade...


That is all for today...have a few other things waiting to be photographed...
Wishing everyone lovely (not too rainy) Easter!

 

[Happy Huku]

How nice to see your new treasures and revisit this thread with all your lovely pearls.
Happy Easter!

PS Would love to see an ear shot of your new earrings, great combination of sapphires and pearls

 

[Pearl Dreams]

Let me just flip those for you....

 

[pattye]

Eolian Pearls,

You look fab in your new designs! What a great pearl wardrobe you've created; looking forward to more photos, too!

 

[BWeaves]

I love pearls and denim!!! You're pearls are gorgeous.

 

[eolian pearls]

Thank you ladies!!! Will post earshots once the it stops raining and I ‘ll have nice light for these beauties...

In the meantime a few pictures from my pearl archive;-)

My candy necklace and bracelet - the pearls are from Wen, fun and colorful peackocks 8-10mm that became all that and I still have a tin cup and earrings in works from the rest of the strand...

Barroque akoyas 8,5-9mm from 2017 PP Christmas sale, I couln’t resist them and wasn’t the only one here they are on a long term vacation with my Mom who is modelling them for me, I love looking at them they are so shiny!

That’s it for today, hopefully in the next few days will get some sun and new shots...