Making the Best of Your Pearls

Radio Record, Volume II, Issue 26, 11 January 1929, Page 12

Making the Best of Your Pearls

ee Few women can resist the fascination of pearls, real or imitation, To own a string of pearls is usually one of a woman’s pet ambitions, and nowadays, when there are’so many excellent imitations on the market, it is an ambition that most can realise. The best imitations have a creamy tinge, and the sheen on them is slightly iridescent. Pearls, if of good quality, improve with wearing, as sunlight and the natural grease of the skin help to keep them a good colour. Hidden away they become dull and yellow, They are very susceptible to damp, and should never be put in water, After each time of wearing the pearls should be wiped with a soft cloth. Most good imitation pearls are threaded with knots between, if not for the whole length of the string, at least for an inch or so either side of the clasp. It is quite easy to re-string your own pearls, but it takes a little time, especially when putting knots between them. If your pearls are graduated, slip them off the old silk carefully, placing them in the order they were threaded originally. It is a good idea to lay them in the ridge of a piece of corrugated cardboard, so that there is no danger of their rolling about. Making the Knots, Nowadays one can buy silk for threading pearls in various thicknesses with a fine wire attached to push through the holes. But as an alternative, dental floss is strong:and suitable, and if you keep the end waxed with candle wax or white wax you will find it quite easy to manipulate the holes. You will need a length of silk two and a half times the length of your pearls when finished, The knots must be tightly drawn up against the pearls, otherwise the string will have a very untidy appearance. Start by making a knot about an inch from the end of the silk and thread the first pearl. Then put a pin on your knee or on a cushion and twist the end of silk round it securely. In this way you can keep the silk taut while making the knots, as this is essential, To make the next knot, make a loose knot, slip the point of a darning needle through it, and with this guide the knot up the silk until it is lying close against the pearl, Slip the needle out and draw the knot tight. Continue in this way, taking up the pearls in the order in which they lie, and making a knot between them until your string is finished,