Pearl necklaces are timeless classics; you cannot go wrong with a set of pearl necklaces and earrings.
These earrings made of pearls never go out of style, and a pearl necklace from the 60s still looks elegant today.
It is also one of the most treasured pieces of jewelry you could own, so it may be devastating if your pearl necklace breaks.
But as heartbreaking as it may be, that doesn’t mean the end of the world, and you will be happy to know that there may be a chance and you could restore its glory, as long as the damage is not significant.
What to do with a broken pearl necklace?
Your pearl necklace and the pearl bracelets will not look perfect forever, and the necklace will wear out. Over time, the strings will loosen up and even break eventually, regardless of the material that the string is made of.
This is an expected and natural expectation in the grand scheme of things, which is why most jewelers, especially those specializing in pearl jewelry, will recommend that you get your jewelry re-stringed at least once a year or once every two years.
Doing this may seem like an inconvenience, but it is the best thing you could do to prevent the accidental breakage of the necklace or bracelet and, consequently, the loss of the pearls.
Also, it is essential to remember that the pearls are all strung together using threads made of different materials and, in other cases, wires and chains that have been explicitly designed to fit into the smallest holes on the smallest pearls in the set.
This design feature, though effective in creating stunning pearl necklaces, is limiting and often leads to some of the most delicate designs and arrangements for the necklaces, with the high risk of the necklace breaking.
Besides the design flaws, the pearl necklaces also weaken and break because of the normal forces of wear and tear, not to mention the soiling from body oils and dirt and the friction between the string and the pearls.
When all these forces or factors are considered, it is easy to see how easily the pearl necklace can break apart, in some cases, even with re-stringing.
So, what should you do if you do everything right and the necklace breaks?
1. Please take it to the jeweler
You may be tempted to fix it at home, especially if you have all the loose pearls, but you won’t do an excellent job if you don’t know how to fix it.
The professional, on the other hand, knows more about pearl necklaces, and they will recommend the best repairs and string replacement, making sure that your pearl necklace looks as good as new and lasts longer.
2. Determine how many pearls made up the necklace initially
The first thing you need to do after your pearl necklace breaks is to recollect yourself. And after this, you should think of the possibility of refixing the pearls and determining if you will be able to fix the necklace to its former glory.
The basis for fixing the pearl necklace is knowing the number of pearls that make up the necklace. If you don’t know how many pearls were there before it broke and the pearls were unstrung, fixing the necklace will be a bit challenging.
Knowing the number of the pearls, even when unstrung, is also important because you cannot put all your trust in the jewelers; some are just dishonest and may try to dupe you.
Also, there is the element of human error and knowing the original number of pearls means that a problem is fixed much more quickly.
3. String type
As mentioned above, the string used to make the pearl necklace is the most important part of the necklace, and it determines its longevity. But there is more; you also need to know if the string is made of nylon or silk.
Essentially, nylon is what’s used for guitar strings and fishing rods, but this is not what’s used for pearl necklaces. Most of the time, the pearl necklaces are stringed with nylon that looks a lot like silk.
Silk is not common because even with its elegant stance, it tends to stretch out over time and wears out quickly. So, nylon is preferred, especially if it’s knotted as well as silk. Nylon may not last forever, but it lasts longer than silk and is not prone to breaking.
4. Avoid quick fixes
Complete repair of the necklace may cost more, but you will make up for that cost over time because the well-fixed necklace will last longer than a necklace that is not repaired properly.
So, if your necklace is weakening and there is one loose pearl, it means that the whole necklace/ string must be replaced sooner rather than later.
As the necklace is getting fixed, you may have to decide on whether you want the string knotted or not. Knotting the string is the best approach because it is the most practical approach, and you won’t have to worry about losing all the pearls the next time the necklace breaks.
Knotting keeps in place the pearls, and you risk losing only one pearl if the string breaks at multiple spots.
5. DIY
If you trust yourself, you could fix the broken pearl necklace at home – you will need jewelry clasps, a jewelry string, and utility scissors (or small pliers).
You’ll need to remove the pearls from the end of the thread that is broken and be careful not to lose the rest of the pearls. Make sure you find the pearls that broke off.
Next, cut the thread to the desired length use one free end to tie a knot around the clasp, then start inserting the pearls until you have all the pearls safely in place. Attach the other end to the claps, knot it, and cut off excess thread. Then close the necklace.
Conclusion
You can fix the broken pearl necklace at home, sometimes with fewer pearls, but this is often a quick or temporary fix.
For the best, long-lasting results, take the necklace to a professional for proper fixing, restringing, and knotting.
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Tiger is a fashion&jewelry lover. He is also a fashion jewelry manufacturer that help thousands of small business to grow and also do business with some big fashion jewelry brands. He is a truly metal expert and he will share some information you are looking for.