About Restringing Beads

Equipment Required

• If you decide to do the restringing work yourself, make sure you have the necessary tools. Purchase a piece of fabric with nap, such as velvet or velour; buy several sizes of needle nose pliers, bead cord, beading nylon, a bead board, which has compartments for the beads, glue and scissors. You may also want to find a magnifying glass through which to view your work.
  
  

Getting Help From a Friend

• If you have an experienced beading friend complete the repairs, discuss all of the details of your necklace with your friend and, if available, show her a picture of the necklace. This will help make sure that she has the required materials and skill necessary to repair the necklace and make it look just like the original piece.
  Give her all of the beads and clasps you were able to find and ask her how much the repair will cost you. If your necklace is especially complicated or ornate, ask if there will be any additional costs for more specialized bead repair work.
  
  

Beading Businesses

• There are businesses are available to repair your necklace (see Resources below). Some bead artisan businesses that make these kinds of repairs include labor and materials as well as the time to find the best bead match for your necklace. In addition, these businesses charge for reknotting; this is based on a per-inch basis, plus materials, such as silk cord, French wire and clasps. Jewelry stores that make repairs to broken jewelry can charge $4 per inch to repair bead necklaces.
  
  

Restringing

• Measure out the beading wire you will need to complete your repair. Make sure you include extra wire so you can crimp and cut and still have a sufficient length to complete your repair. String a crimping bead on your wire; next, add the jewelry clasp and run the bead wire through the crimping bead one more time and pull the wire tight so it closes snugly around the crimping bead. Now, take your pliers and close the crimping bead around the wire tightly enough that the wire and bead won't move. While you're doing this, make sure you tighten the wire on the clasp. Double check and make sure your wire is tight enough and that the crimping bead doesn't move on the wire. Next, cut the short end, or tail, of the wire which is hanging out of the crimping bead. Now, you're ready to restring the beads, either in the original pattern or a new pattern. Once you've restrung all the beads, end with another crimping bead, the other clasp and loop the wire through the ending crimping bead and tighten as you did for the beginning. Pull tight on the slack in the wire and crimp the bead on the wire. Cut the end of the wire close to the jewelry clasp and make sure it won't scratch your skin.
  
  

Considerations

• Restringing a broken bead necklace can be in involved process which requires a strong eye, patience and the ability to maneuver beads, pliers, wire or cord and clasps. Beadwork artisans who repair broken bead jewelry are aware of this and charge accordingly, especially when they need to search out rare or specialized beads. When you decide who will repair your necklace, make sure that person or artisan is aware of these considerations.