Please contact us for current avilability of sizes and prices at culpepperandco@verizon.net or 828-524-6842.

Blacklip Mother of Pearl or Pinctada Margaritifera is probably one of the most exclusive pearls in demand in todays knife and instrument market. It comes from small shells found in French Polynesia around Tahiti and its Archipelagos. Just under the exterior bark of the shell is where the real beauty of the Blacklip shell lies. Like Goldlip, Blacklip has a black/grey color around the lip of the shell. Also, like Goldlip, Blacklip is priced by the depth of color and iridescence. A nice pair of Blacklip will have every color of the rainbow in its iridescent black background. A pair is considered large if it has a usable area of 2 1/2/” x 7/8” x .080”. Currently Blacklip is especially difficult to yield and sizes max out near 3" in length and 1" wide.

NOTE: Currently, Blacklip is at an all time low with regards to availability. Some larger orders are taking several months to deliver due to the shortage of quality large shells.

Great inlay and mosaic materials. All of the material listed in this category will be finished slabs and will be completely flat and ready to work. All material is available in the stated range of sizes. Requested specifics such as size and/or thickness may not be available. We will do our best to adhear to your requested needs.  Assorted sample sizes start from 2 x 1/2 to 3 x 7/8 with a minimum thickness of 0.050, and are not cut to order. Priced by the piece only, not available as matching pairs.

In addition to our regular line of materials, we offer smaller sizes of blacklip perfect for inlay use.  They have the same color characteristics as the larger pieces and are probably second only to white in popularity.  All pieces have a minimum thickness of .050"-.060". Prices shown are per piece.

Blanks are primarily used for inlay for knife handles, musical instruments or furniture inlay. You can expect most pieces to be 3/4” to 1” wide and at least 1 1/2” long. Non laser pre-cut squares and rectangles are also available in various thicknesses. All thicknesses are surface ground and are 100% flat. All material is premium and is priced by the ounce.

Please email us at culpepperandco@verizon.net or call 828-524-6842 to order this product.

Thickness          Price/Sq. In.          Whole Sheet (9 1/2 x 5 1/2)

    .060                      $7.50/in.                  $285.00

    .125                      $14.25/in.                $570.00

To determine a price per pair, multiply length X width (of the slab you require) X 2 (for 2 pieces) then multiply this total by the Price/Square Inch that corresponds to the thickness you require. For example, a pair of 3"x1"x 1/8" Blacklip will cost approximately $86.00/pair.

Prices shown are per pair.

Blacklip Pearl or Pinctada Margaritifera comes from French Polynesia. In the cutlery industry it is treasured for it's color, rarity and exclusivity. Sold by whole shell only.