Chain & Pearls

Hi I am working on two projects, and looking for durable chain that can be strung with pearls...rumor has it you have some?

also can you recommend a sterling footage chain that will look appropriate for a delicate wedding necklace (bridesmaids). The design is a few inches of chain, then a pearl/crystal, and so on.

Really appreciate it!

[Polly]

Hi Lauren,

I'll answer your 2nd question first.
We stock the following styles of sterling footage chain.  If you want a very delicate chain, then I would use the 40-592 fine cable chain.  Or for something that is still delicate, but more interesting: 40-598 fine long & short.  
The sterling heart link chain is pretty, but probably too bulky for your purposes.

Regarding chain that can be strung with pearls...
Pearls generally have very tiny holes.  Sometimes it's hard to even find an eye pin that will go through them.  This makes it difficult to find a style of chain that you can string pearls directly onto. The smallest footage chain that we stock is 40-099-09, a 1.1mm fine flattened cable chain.  Here is an example of it in use:
"Everything is Turning to Gold" gallery image.
We may be adding and even finer drawn cable, between 0.5 and 0.8mm, but it will require specialty end pieces that we are researching at the same time.  (That size is too fine for jump rings to hook into.)

--Polly

[Metalman]

If you end up with hole problems related to your pearls, there are tools that can help.
Generally called reamers, we carry several.
Hand reamer for pearls #69-049
Battery operated reamer #69-058
Wiream Set  #69-070 or #69-071
Reamer set #: 85-395
Any of these can open up the holes of beads and pearls for easier stringing

[Polly]

Hi Lauren,

We now have the sterling beading chain in stock.  It is 0.6mm and 0.8mm, so most pearls will not fit on it without a bit of help from a bead reamer.
However, our wire-hole pearl beads look like they should fit on the 0.6mm beading chain.  (I will see if we've already tested this, and if not, then we will test it asap.)

To finish the ends of sterling beading chain, use 41-551 crimp tubes with loop-ends.  (We stock 3 styles/sizes.)

--Polly