This is the second of the three-part series on instrument inlay. I'm grateful for all of the positive feedback on Part I, and again I solicit and welcome your comments. Disclaimers and copyright rules are still in place. When last we met we spoke of tools and materials, and I left you staring at an array of scribes, jeweler's saws, thin blades, and noisy high speed drills. Now, you must choose an instrument or other object to be inlaid, purchase some inlay material, and either purchase or design a pattern to cut.
Thick slabs are also less likely to break as they are cut.
Thick slabs do cause a higher rate of blade breakage, so be sure to have an ample stock of medium blades available. Pearl is sold by the piece or by unit weight, typically by the ounce. The end-user should pick out the especially attractive slabs from any given batch and stash them away for the ultimate inlay job. In any case, use as plain and routine a selection of pearl as possible for your first cutting efforts. The inlay design is dictated by the nature of your project, and for this, you must choose carefully.