Pearls

[Patstone]

Has anyone any ideas how to "fix" pearls into a pea-pod shape drop pendant. I thought about a soldered wire on the bottom of the pod, then thread the pearls onto it, and squeeze the top of the pod to hold the wire at the top, only problem with that is that the silver will tarnish at the back of the pearls and it wouldn't be possible to clean it with the pearls in place.

[Wallace]

I would do most of the clean-up before I put any of the pearls in place.

If you are soldering the lower point of the pod, then pickle and tumble would, i imagine, give the best results. I would thread the pearls last of alll as polishing is really not so good with pearls (or similar softer stones).

Maybe, threading the on soldered wire through the top and using it as a wire type loop that becomes the bail. As peas have dendrils, it might be in keeping with the natural formation they have. You would have to enlarge the pearl holes to at least 1mm, but that isn't too difficult. I have in desperation used a saw blade before now and it worked. But I do now have bead readers, as it is much easier.

Maybe Dennis or someone else will have a better idea? I haven't made any, but would make the hole larger and use the top for a bail point and added design feature, if I did.

[MeadMoon]

When I made a pea pod (with beads, not pearls)threaded onto a wire running through, the top of the wire became the bail as Wallace has suggested and the bottom of the wire was threaded through a small hole in the pod and hammered to form a rivet head.

[LydiaNiz]

exactly what the ladies above said! :-)

[Dennis]

You have nearly all you answers, Pat. Elaine suggests riveting the loose end of the wire. Alternatively you could pass it through a small hole and simply make a tight loop at the back, out of sight.

As for cleaning the piece later when it tarnishes, I have never had any problem with a quick dip and rinse using Goddards silver dip from Sainsbury. If you are in doubt and you have a spare pearl, try a single one first, you only need about five seconds.

Of course you could simplify the work by using two hole silver balls instead. Dennis.

[pearlescence]

Pllease do not dip pearls in silver polish! They are porous for a start.
You could poke around with polish on a cotton bud if really necessary

[Dennis]

Yes Wendy, when I bring up that subject there is always a disapproving intake of breath, but pearls would have to be banned from bright silver if there were no remedy.

I have repeatedly done a brief dip and rinse of silver pieces with white pearls, for members of my family, because I cant bear my work looking sad and tired. So far I have not noticed the slightest deterioration of the pearls, even after more than fifteen years.

That said I might be more worried about my latest black ones in case they turned white. Regards, Dennis.

[Patstone]

I will be threading the pearls onto the wire, but in time the silver behind it will go black and I thought that the customer would want to keep it clean so would need to remove the pearls together with the wire they are threaded on to enable them to clean behind. The bottom bit could be either riveted or fixed but its the top bit that causes the problem. Make a bale with the top of the wire, but how would you keep it there, the only way I can think of is using a split ring holding the wire into the pod

[ps_bond]

Another alternative might be to use one of the tarnish-resistant silvers to defer the day they need to be cleaned.

[pearlescence]

Pearls can and do absorb liquids.
Occasionally we reel back when opening an envelope with some pearls back for re-stringing which stink of stale perfume.
They don't have to be banned from silver, just clean the silver with a different plan.