Restringing Services

For over 30 years we have been renowned for our expertise in restringing. We are experienced in working with a wide range of mediums including pearls, diamonds, gemstones and all forms of beads. We also offer a comprehensive range of stringing materials to suit all requirements.

Our average turn-around time is between 1–3 days, however, we aim to accommodate urgent requests where possible.

To do the best job possible, please include the following with every job packet.

• Company name
• Job number
• How many pieces — not the length of the article
• Size and a short description of the article
• We suggest you take a photograph of the piece before sending it to us

• Tell us whether you would like the piece knotted, unknotted, or restrung as is.
• Knotting can only be performed using silk and cotton threads.
• For strands over 6mm, we recommend that you have your strand knotted.
• If the strand is made from very small gemstones, we recommend that the strand not be knotted.
• For strands made of combinations of gemstones and pearls, knotting may not be possible as the holes may be of different sizes.
• We recommend that imitation pearls be unknotted, for the final look of the piece.
• Where a piece combines small and large hole beads, we recommend unknotted, to prevent string breakage.

• If the finished length matters, please state only the finished length required — not how many pieces to use.
• If you would like the piece restrung as is or using all the beads supplied, you cannot also specify a length, as these may give a different result.
• For a single strand, or multiple strands of the same length, specify a final finished length including clasp.

Multi-strand work has many possible arrangements. Please tell us:

• Whether each strand should be the same length, or
• Whether there should be no gap between each strand, or
• If you would like a gap, the distance in millimetres between the strands
• The length of the shortest strand

Multi-strand pieces must use a multi-strand clasp, not a single-strand clasp.

• Draw the pattern for both new and broken strands, or send a photograph.
• If you send loose pieces, please provide a photograph or a diagram of the pattern.
• If your piece is loose, please ensure you have enough beads to complete the length and design. This remains your responsibility.

We do not know until a job is almost finished whether there are the required number of beads. If there are not, you will be charged for the work done. We suggest laying the job out with your customer beforehand to confirm the count.

• Item code if known. Otherwise, specify yellow gold or white gold and carat, gold plate or silver.
• For pearls, please specify type, colour, size and shape.
• If you would like us to supply a clasp, choose from our catalogue or website and give us the code. We are not able to select one on your behalf.

If you would like a specific material, please state it — including the colour of the silk or thread. We work with silk and nylon combination thread, elastic, tiger-tail (German wire) and nylon.

• The strongest and safest material for restringing is a high tensile combination thread made of silk and nylon. We offer this in an extensive range of colours that we will match to your strand unless otherwise specified.
• For the restringing of gemstones and diamond strands, we recommend using German flexible wire. This is because the small diameter of the hole in these mediums will only allow us to use a very thin thread, and the jagged edges of the stone can easily cut through silk.
• For heavy stone strands with large holes we recommend using silk and nylon thread with knotting between each stone. However, if the holes are disproportionately small, we recommend using wire or fish-wire.
• If a strand contains beads with different sized holes (such as in mixed strands of gemstones and pearls), the material used for restringing will be determined by the diameter of the smallest hole.
• We recommend that elastic not be used for pearls, unless the hole size is over 1mm.

Standard restringing is charged by finished length, at $5.64 per inch or $2.28 per centimetre.

Some work takes considerably longer and is charged as a multiple of the standard price above.

We can half-drill or fully drill pearls with holes ranging from 0.6mm upwards.