What the knots actually do
- They stop a break becoming a loss. If the silk gives, the knots hold the rest of the pearls in place instead of sending them across the floor.
- They keep the pearls apart. Pearl against pearl wears the nacre at the drill holes. A knot between them means they never touch.
- They let the strand drape. A knotted strand hangs and moves properly rather than sitting stiff.
- They take up the stretch. Silk stretches, and knots keep the pearls from sliding along the loosened thread.
How to tell yours need doing
Hold the strand up by the clasp. If you can see thread between the pearls, the silk has stretched. If the thread has gone grey or dark, it has absorbed years of skin and lotion. If it kinks rather than hanging straight, it has had enough. Any one of those is a restring.
How often
Worn often, every year or two. Worn a few times a year, considerably longer. Never restrung and older than you can remember, bring them in now rather than after they break in a parking lot.
What we do
New silk, knotted between each pearl, the clasp checked or replaced, and the whole strand looked over for pearls that have worn at the drill hole. If any need matching we will tell you at the counter.
Beads too
Same job on coral, jade, turquoise, onyx, lapis and glass. If it is strung, it can be restrung.
Bring it in and we will look at it
Every piece is different and pearls especially so. Put it on the counter, tell us what has happened, and we will tell you what we see and what we would do about it. You decide from there, before anything is agreed.
Questions we get asked
Do pearls have to be knotted?
They should be. It keeps them from rubbing and it means a break does not scatter the strand.
How do I know if mine need restringing?
Hold them up. Visible thread between the pearls, grey silk, or a strand that kinks all mean yes.
How long does restringing take?
You will get a time at the counter. Most are quick.
Can you restring beads as well as pearls?
Yes — coral, jade, turquoise, onyx, lapis, glass. If it is strung we can restring it.
Will you tell me what you find before doing any work?
Always. We look at it with you at the counter, tell you what we see, and you decide.
Not sure we can fix it?
Send a couple of details and we will call you back. Or just walk in — it is quicker, and we can actually look at the piece.
Drop it off, shop the mall, wear it tonight
We are inside Orland Square Mall in Orland Park. Walk in during mall hours, no appointment. Most repairs are finished the same day and a good number while you wait.
Where we are
Julio's Jewelry, 800 Orland Square Drive, Orland Park, IL 60462 — inside Orland Square Mall. Mon–Thu 10am–8pm · Fri–Sat 10am–9pm · Sun 11am–6pm. We are also at North Riverside Park Mall, 7501 W Cermak Rd, North Riverside, IL 60546.