Wanted: Pipi Pearl Strand

[MSC]

Here's my not so great rendering of the design for the shells. I'm going to modify it for 3 shells. The shells would be claw set Victorian-style with lots of thin, long prongs. I want to pair a bright blue stone with the shells, kyanite is perfect!

 

[GemGeek]

Great idea! I love the pop of the Kyanite.

 

[MSC]

It was lovely to find that faceted kyanite can look like cornflower sapphire, but for a fraction of the price.

 

[CathyKeshi]

What a fantastic plan ... eagerly await updates

 

[Lady_Disdain]

Just a word of caution. Kyanite is quite a delicate stone, since it has both perfect and imperfect cleavage and it is rather brittle and splintery. It can also surprise the setter, since the hardness on one plane is much lower than on the other. It is one of those stones best set by someone used to working with coloured stones, and not just diamonds and sapphires.

 

[MSC]

Thanks for the advise, Lady D! I'll definitely make sure the jeweler is experienced with setting kyanite.

 

[MSC]

Drill update: I've finally gotten around to using the pearl drilling machine and it works great, super easy! However, all the vice collets are too big for my 2-4mm pipis. UGH! I've emailed the seller to see if I can get smaller collets and I've googled to death, but cannot find 2, 3 or 4mm vice collets that'll fit the machine. If the seller does not provide the collets, I'm not sure how to modify the ones I have to use with smaller pearls. I was thinking red pitch? Any thoughts for McGeivering?

 

[GemGeek]

Try cutting out dense foam or thin rubber mat material?

 

[MSC]

Hmm, that is an interesting suggestion that may actually work.

I tried blue modeling wax, which started to work till it got too warm.

Also, the steel drills provided were not strong enough to drill all the way through the pearl, so I'm going to try steel carbide. I haven't found small enough diamond twist drills yet, but if I do find those, I'm going to give them a try as well.

 

[Marianne]

You might try Mole Skin (see the foot care section in your local drug store). It has adhesive on one side and is very soft on the other side. You can cut it to the size needed and it can fit around curve. You can also build up layers.

 

[Katbran]

Dremel makes a collet that takes a .8mm bit and I know they have one that takes smaller bits as mine go down to .6 . I don't know if they would fit on your machine but I'm sure they would have one... is this the German or Japanese machine? I assume you have checked their web site if it is.. A possibility would be to take it to a good hardware store or Hobby shop and see what collets they might have and try one there to see if it fits. I'd be a bit worried about MacGyvering something that's spinning like that ... wear your goggles !

 

[MSC]

Great idea, Marianne! I've got moleskin in my hiking/camping first aid kit. Too bad I have to go to work now!

KB - the drill bit collet is totally fine, it's the cups that hold the pearl in the vice (the manufacturer calls them collets - this could be a chinese to english interpretation issue), but thank you for the suggestion!

 

[pearlescence]

Isn't the grippy thing for the drill bit called a chuck?

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

Drill update: I've finally gotten around to using the pearl drilling machine and it works great, super easy! However, all the vice collets are too big for my 2-4mm pipis. UGH! I've emailed the seller to see if I can get smaller collets and I've googled to death, but cannot find 2, 3 or 4mm vice collets that'll fit the machine. If the seller does not provide the collets, I'm not sure how to modify the ones I have to use with smaller pearls. I was thinking red pitch? Any thoughts for McGeivering?

They don't make tiny collets. If they did, you'd likely end up drilling notches in them

A while back I posted a video of a man drilling 2mm pearls with a bow drill. I adapted a similar method of tapping pearls into wooden blocks then clamping them into the drill.

I break or crack fewer small pearls since drilling straight through.

 

[MSC]

Bless your heart, Dave, less lazy people will definitely want to give that method a try! But I'd love to see photos of your wood block/clamp set up.

 

[Lagoon Island Pearls]

But I'd love to see photos of your wood block/clamp set up.

Sure, but not until December's expedition at Clayoquot Island. I'm not set up for it at the moment.