Mother-of-pearl is a material that covers the inner surface of the shells of certain mollusks. Its sparkling, colorful appearance makes it an obvious choice for many decorative applications. Such is the case in violin and bow making, where it is used as inlay fragments.
What is mother-of-pearl?
Mother-of-pearl is the coating found on certain shellfish. It is biosynthesized(manufactured) by the mollusc that lives inside the shell. The iridescent material is composed of a multitude of layers of a perlucin protein that binds aragonite crystals (calcium crystals). Mother-of-pearl can also be formed directly inside the cockpit. In fact, when a disturbing element penetrates the mollusc's interior, it protects itself by covering it with mother-of-pearl: this is how pearls are formed.
Mother-of-pearl is considered organic matter, as it contains remnants of the organic matrix that enabled it to be synthesized by the animal. But they are in fact biominerals.
The use of mother-of-pearl in violin making
Violins, violas and cellos
The quartet's instruments make very little use of mother-of-pearl in their ornamentation, but it is occasionally found on accessories:
- Sometimes a pearlescent spot is found on the top of the ankles.
- The tailpiece is also an ideal place for mother-of-pearl inlays.
Il existe par ailleurs certains instruments célèbres pour leurs incrustations en nacre. Comme le violon très ornementé « Le Hellier » d’Antonio Stradivari datant de 1679. Celui-ci est en effet entouré de filets doubles à l’intérieur desquels sont incrustés une succession de cercles et de losanges nacrés.
There are also some Norwegian folk fiddles, the hardingfele, which are richly decorated with mother-of-pearl. These Scandinavian cousins also have sympathetic strings, which are not played but resonate with the melodies. The result is surprising, both aesthetically and sonically. I'll try to cover the subject in more detail in a future article!
Bows
Bows are almost pieces of goldsmithery, a combination of wood, metal and rare, precious materials. Here too, mother-of-pearl is used for its iridescent beauty. It is mainly found on :
- Recovery of the increase
- The Parisian eye, or other decorative element on the sides of the rise
- As an ornament on the clamping knob
Guitars and mandolins
Although my specialty(or the subject of this site) is not guitars or mandolins. It was nevertheless important to mention them here, as these instruments have an enormous number of pearlescent elements:
- Rosettes
- Touch markers
- Nets
- Decorative inlays
Mother-of-pearl from an ecological and ethical point of view
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Wild abalone can fetch prices of around 50 euros per kilo. They are fished one by one in France by licensed professionals.
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La nacre ainsi que les perles sont des produits proscrits par le véganisme, car il s’agit bien d’un produit du règne animal. De plus, en raison de sa nature précieuse celui-ci est surexploité dans certaines régions. C’est par exemple les cas des ormeaux ou « oreilles de mer » qui sont recherchés pour leur chair autant que pour leur coquille. Ils ont ainsi disparu de nombreux littoraux un peu trop fréquentés par les pêcheurs de toute sorte. C’est pour ça qu’il existe maintenant des élevages en bassin ou en mer.
There are, of course, alternatives to mother-of-pearl, based on plastics or polymers. They are, however, difficult to find in good quality and, above all, not as beautiful.
