Mother of Pearl Inlay Application with CA Glues
1 min reading time
Mother-of-pearl is a shiny, pearlescent material that's used to make jewelry and ornaments. It is made from the nacre that coats the inside layer of the mollusk shell (pearl oysters, freshwater mussels, and abalone). This is what is used to form pearls that are boiled and crushed into a soft powder.
We advise to first fill the voids with the powder and press them in lightly with your fingers to ensure an even fill. Apply a generous amount of thin or medium clear CA glue so it can sip in. Wipe off excess CA around the void and then hit it up with an accelerator before sanding. Note that mother of pearl is a soft inlay material and will sand off pretty easily. Feel free to refill any pockets that show after the initial sanding.
When sanding Mother of Pearl, you can start with 80 - 180 grit sand paper, then move up to a 220 - 320 grit and finish with a 600 grit size sand paper.
