[Elsa]

Hi all
I wonder if I could get your thoughts on mother-of-pearl...
I myself really like it--it has a retro quality that I personally find quite attractive--but the few pieces we do have don't sell at all. Have any of you had better luck or experiences with mother-of-pearl? Or any interesting pieces to show?
Thanks

[CiullaJewelers]

I was looking at your site, I have to say I love the Black Mother of Pearl Cubic Zirconium Earrings. I think they would go perfectly with one of those evening dresses with a LOW cut back and lots of straps. (Like you see on the red carpets all the time.)

The one thing I did notice is that everything you sell with MOP is Sterling Silver with CZ. This could be why they don't sell too well. Maybe if they were gold and diamonds they might. I wouldn't be afraid of mixing expensive materials with MOP... after all... some of Rolex's most expensive watches are solid gold with diamonds and mother of pearl dials.

Just my opinion.

[J. Larry Railey]

Compared to pearls, how long do Mother-of-Pearl necklaces last and are they subject to the same degradation from body acids and oils, perfumes, etc.?

Happy Holidays everyone!

Larry

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Larry,

Mother of pearl reacts to the same environmental influences the same way as pearls do. Since Queen Elizabeth I's ring with a mother of pearl shank still looks pretty good as do some early Byzantine mother of pearl inlays I've seen, I'd say it is just as durable and degrades just as pearls depending on environmental factors and use. That, of course, also applies in the negative sense with bleached and dyed mother of pearl degrading faster than untreated material.

Zeide

[J. Larry Railey]

Hi, Zeide,

The breadth and depth of your knowledge about our subject on this forum is a wonder to behold. May I further inquire how peacocks are dyed?

Larry

[Zeide Erskine]

Hi Larry,

About every pearl factory has their own "technology man" who mixes the dyes and proprietary processes. The best results are with already greenish beige input pearls and a slow dying process involving carbon black of very low particle size.

Zeide

[jshepherd]

And every one of those "technology men" (who are simply referred to as 'he is technology' in every factory) have several secret formulae that are protected like the pearls themselves. Their offices look like chemistry labs, yet the powders are mixed randomly as often as not. The typical results are overwhelmingly similar, which is likely a product of KTV, Mahjongg, and beer nights. But every once in a while you find something unique and special - the true dark colors, with hints of rose and green. This goes for Akoya as well as freshwater.

[smetzler]

Found this thread searching for 'mother of pearl.' Great!

As a retailer of high-end, handmade pianos we are at times presented with the opportunity to custom design an instrument together with the manufacturer. In the 18th and 19th centuries mother of pearl was a rare, albeit known, alternative to ivory for covering the white keys. (More common m-o-p usage is cabinet inlay, of course).

As a pianist, I would be very attracted to the tactile qualities, in addition to the potential for striking beauty.

The only legal ivory these days is mammoth tusk (mammoths are not in danger of extinction, apparently). But its great expense is not rewarded with commensurate beauty. So we're stuck with acrylic and calcium/plastic materials originating in the field of dentistry.

Anyone know a mother-of-pearl specialist that might be interested in such a project? All comments welcome.

Steve Metzler
Classical Grands
Seattle

[pattye]

Hi Steve,

Your career sounds fascinating! I know it's not exactly what you want, but on ebay I have seen mop tiles for sale, I don't do link well, but here is an item number for you to look at--250075079600. Is this the type of raw material you could work with? I can only imagine how gorgeous the keyboard would be!

Good luck with your search,

Pattye

ps maybe Australia and New Zealand would be good sources--?

[smetzler]

Pattye,

You took me in exactly the direction I needed, basic awareness of the raw product sources and the nature of the materials the final craftsman will be working. I do assume that white/transparent color and large enough pieces to economically cut 8" shaped lengths would dictate South Seas P. Maxima or similar.

Following my prior post we had dinner with our piano showroom manager, a superstar and moderator in his own right on a prominent piano forum, and he 'reminded' me that the accordian trade continues a tradition of mop use for keyboards. In fact, Seattle is the home of one of the world's finest remaining accordian craftsmen, and I will be reaching out to him soon to discover as much as possible of current sources and methods (for purely scientific reasons, of course).

Many thanks,
Steve
Seattle

[perlas]

Hi Smeltzer,

You can check out this site: www.powerfashion.com.

Cebu exports a lot of mop items. Shell inlay and raw shells are sold. They probably can custom cut mop's for you. I have no experience dealing with this company though.

Please show us the finished product if you push through with it. That ought to be interesting.

[MABE BRAZIL]

Hi Steve,
I am starting the first pearl farm in Brazil, and if you want to see how are our MOP, let me know that I could send you a sample. Please give me your address. Feel free to contact by personal email: occunhalima@gmail.com.

Regards

Ricardo Cunha Lima

[pattye]

On second thought Steve,

Howabout one piano with the Black frame, traditional black with white MOP keys, and another with shiny dark, dark chocolate frame and natural pink MOP keys? (Kind of a Valentine's Day model?)

Pattye

[smetzler]

Project update:

My search for MOP for piano keys has taken me to Brasil, New Zealand, Western Australia and Korea with the most urgent need being brilliant high-quality flat white/silver slabs 6" in length so that the individual keys may be produced in one piece (HELP!!). Should it be definitively determined that this is not possible, then we revert to inlay (with legal ivory, of course), according to custom design. I have piano keytop specialists, the world's greatest piano manufacturer, and quality pearl farmers (including Ricardo in Brasil, a very personable and service-oriented gentleman) aware and rooting for a positive outcome.

Side story: I mentioned the Seattle accordian producer in a prior post. Petosa accordians are world-famous and highly collected (check eBay!). After taking pictures of their incredible museum of vintage accordians with 'MOP' keyboards, I was advised somewhat brusquely by Joe Petosa, Jr. that celluloid (read: perloid) was already in use by the company's founding in 1922, and MOP may have been used for the occasional cabinet inlay, nothing more.

We still do have historical precedent on early pianos in the late 18th and early 19th centuries for inspiration…


Steve
Seattle

[Kathleen Conway]

I enjoy MOP, it's just that most settings I see it in are not to my taste. Occasionally I see a big ring with MOP or abalone in a heavy silver setting, and it's enchanting. IMO here is a real opportunity- MOP in heavy settings like Bulgari rings, Paloma Piccasso oversized designs or Spratling-style Mexican silver.

If anyone is doing this, I would love to know!