I dont know what it is about mother of pearl that makes me so happy! Is it the lovely sheen or the tiny rainbows captured within? Even better when its coupled with intricate workmanship.
This is what I found on wiki-
Nacre (
pron.: /ˈneɪkər/ NAY-kər),
[1] also known as
mother of pearl, is an organic-inorganic
composite material produced by some
molluscs as an inner
shell layer; it is also what makes up the outer coating of
pearls. It is strong, resilient, and
iridescent. Nacre is composed of hexagonal platelets of
aragonite (a form of
calcium carbonate)- interesting! So shells are either pounded or treated with acid to get the shiny material out. This is then used to make paint or in the solid form, cut and chiselled into required shapes for inlay.
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| Mother of pearl coin purse- I didnt feel like using it. So it sits pretty on the shelf :) |
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| Yup dont compare apples and pears, even if inlaid with mother of pearl! |
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| Have a thing for salt and pepper shakers |
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My sis in law was so patient with me when she took me shopping in the UK!
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These are apparently caviar folks (?!) I use them as fruit picks!
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Mother of pearl and laquer jewellery box - A gift from the husband!
These pieces of exquisite furniture inlaid with mother of pearl or bone ( yes! real animal bone !) would make such statement pieces ( pics courtesy internet).
The art of inlay has been around since 16th century. If you are the DIY kind, You can use either epoxy or cyanoacrylate (super glue) to set it. The inlay is inset and filler material (fine sawdust) is packed around it to fill the gaps. Then super glue is applied, soaking in and solidifying everything. Its intersting how different cultures have used mother of pearl with such unique but cohesive results!
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| Indian |
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| oriental |
I I came across this great site "neon artifakts" which has a great collection of Mother of pearl grills (WOW!!), tiles, inlays of all kinds.
I am lusting after this :-
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| Syrian / Moroccan Sofa inlaid with mother of pearl |
What do you think :) Do u have any in your collection?
