How to Drill Pearls

Using loose pearls to make your own jewelry is a money-saving and rewarding endeavor, but turning the pearls into drilled beads can be tricky. It can be done well, however, using the right tools and working slowly with care and focus.

Step 1

Find a pearl's drilling center point by determining which part of it you would like to show on the jewelry and then rotating it by 90 degrees.
Step 2

Mark the pearl's drilling spot with a grease pen.
Step 3

Secure the pearl into a pearl or bead vise by matching up the pearl with the correctly sized hole in the vise. Screw the vise so that the pearl cannot move. Make sure that the marked spot is facing directly upward.
Step 4

Drill a hole into the pearl using the smallest drill bit possible, making sure to securely hold the vise. Some pearls are tougher than others; do not force the drill.
Step 5

Examine the hole. If it needs to be only slightly bigger or appears jagged, use a diamond-coated reamer to perfect the hole.

When you start drilling, you should drill in a little and then back out the bit repeatedly. The hollow grooves in the bit carry chips away from the drilling surface, but they tend to become packed with pearl dust during drilling. This can jam the bit in the hole and cause it to snap off,it is not a pleasant problem.

To avoid this situation, back the drill bit out every 1 mm as you advance it into the pearl. This pulls out the packed dust and releases it. Be sure to drill carefully and avoid using too much pressure, which can cause the pearl to split.

To gauge drilling depth, wrap a piece of tape around the drill bit to indicate the stopping point. Some jewelers make a small tape propeller, which serves a dual purpose: it gauges drill depth and also blows away any dust that accumulates as you drill. (This trick is great for wax work and wood work, as well.)