Materials
Mother of Pearl
For detailing in the form of mosaic tile designs, or for marquetry
For detailing in the form of mosaic tile designs, or for marquetry
Designers often use mother of pearl for bespoke furniture pieces, most commonly in the form of mosaic tile designs, but also for marquetry detailing.
Mother of pearl refers to the iridescent lining that's found in the inner surface of a nacre-producing mollusc's shell. Another term for mother of pearl is nacre, which is the substance that forms pearls. Mother of pearl is made of aragonite, a type of calcium carbonate, formed by the pearl oyster, as well as freshwater pearl mussels and abalone.
Mother of pearl is generally opaque to translucent in appearance and is typically white, cream or off-white in colour, however, you'll also come across grey, silver, yellow, black, blue-green and red varieties.
A surface of extraordinary optical refinement, used wherever the specification calls for a material that diffracts rather than merely reflects light.
