Q. Restringing Pearls
What are the benefits of having pearls professionally restrung as opposed to doing it yourself with dental floss? I've heard convincing arguments for both views. - Virginia Beach

A. Cultured pearls should be re-strung annually in order to reduce the friction that can build up between the pearls as they rub against each other; the more they rub, the more the nacre can be damaged where the pearl was drilled for the hole to string. If this happens, the pearls are permanently damaged. Thus, the benefit of having a professional do the stringing. Silk or nylon composite thread is traditionally used for its strength and ease of stringing. I am not aware of any benefits of using dental floss, but there is no reason why you cannot learn how to string yourself. Make sure the knots are tight and if you use the proper sting, they will not stretch as much. The Gemological Institute of America offers a correspondence course on stringing which I recommend, or you can check out some books from the library. You can go to the GIA web site through our web site and find out more. All the best, David Nygaard

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