Today I experimented with using Beadalon silicone bead bumpers with thread (rather than beading wire.)
I used Pattye's Serafil, but other threads can be used.
Link to buy bumpers:
https://artbeads.com/jewelry-supplies/beadalon-bead-bumpers-1-5mm-clear-oval-find-2132/
Beadalon bead bumpers are also sold on Amazon.
Edit 5/11/23: FireMountainGems sells their own version, called Bead Huggers:
Mini Bead Huggers keep very small beads in place by gripping stringing materials. Created with soft polymeric material, they protect beads from rubbing against each other. Use bead huggers in place of knots to separate very small beads. Mini Bead Huggers fit up to 24-gauge wire or cord.
www.firemountaingems.com
String on the the first 3 pearls and the clasp as usual, back-knotting after each of those 3 pearls.
Afterward, string on a
bumper after each pearl instead of making knots, continuing until there are 4 pearls left.
String on the 4 remaining pearls without bumpers, then finish the strand the way you normally would, attaching the clasp and back-knotting between the final 4 pearls.
The bumpers are tiny, but the 1.5mm work fine for most pearls, the 2mm are good for 11-12mm pearls and up. Heavy size Pattye's Serafil passes through the 2mm bumpers with a fine needle. I haven't tried yet with a medium gauge needle.
Why bother using bumpers at all instead of just making knots throughout?
• If you have trouble making uniform, looking tight knots-- maybe if you have arthritis in your hands and don't want to have to do all that tugging on thread to make tight knots-- bumpers offer an alternative.
• I have also found silicone bead bumpers to be useful when the drill holes of pearls you want to string are not a uniform size. I had one strand like this-- the hole sizes were all over the place. I would have had to make larger and smaller knots throughout. Bead bumpers made for a uniform appearance.
[Edited to add this: It's a good idea to have some bumpers on hand so that if you have a pearl that is eroded near the drill hole, the tiny bumper fills the eroded area. The silver color bumper works well for lighter colored Tahitians.]
You can also string on
49-ply beading wire with the bumpers, using crimps at the clasp. I have done this with Beadalon "scrimps", which tighten on the wire with a tiny screw instead of flattening the crimp with pliers.
One way to keep the little bumpers from getting away from you while working is to stick them onto the adhesive part of a a Post-it note. It's just sticky enough. I found it easy to insert my beading wire into the hole while it was on the mat. Hand-holding the bumpers is tricky! After fumbling and losing the first one, I came up with the use of the Post-it note. A sticky mat would work also.