About Us

Since 1967 we’ve been the world’s best source for top quality mother-of-pearl (“MOP”) and abalone shell materials used in stringed instrument inlay, reverse glass signage, furniture, marquetry, jewelry, and a wide variety of other crafts.  We’re co-inventors of the wildly successful laminated shell material known as ABALAM®.  Often copied but never surpassed!

Duke of Pearl, LLC, (“DOP”) shares space at the same location as Aulson Inlay, LLC, with the two separate businesses being managed by Her Worshipful Pearlkeep Lady Ellen Aulson, with Vice Chancellor of Inlay Anja Zander in attendance. Along with encouraging your nacreous addictions, Her Grace also co-owns Aulson Inlay, specializing in fully customized super high quality CNC artwork, prototyping, one-offs, small runs, and innovative materials.  We share many clients in common, who find such a “one stop shopping” arrangement highly beneficial.

In addition to collectible “boutique” or “Art” guitars (many of which have sold in the range of $50,000 to $1,000,000!), our talented clients have done pearl inlay in or on items ranging from custom knives to folding hand fans, fishing lures to turkey calls, cigar humidors to funeral urns, Jewish temple furniture to pool tables, and surfboards to dragster cockpits!  Several of our shell products were developed specifically for use in architectural or interior decorating applications, such as covering ceilings, walls, countertops, or display spaces with the glowing beauty of pearlescent shell.

Offered on the following pages are hundreds of precisely-made materials taken from eighteen species of nacreous shells, of which our 40 craftsmen process upwards of 80 metric tons annually!  These products include: 5.5″x 9.5″ veneers and multi-layer thick laminated shell sheets (ABALAM®” or “ABLAM”), traditional flat pearl and abalone “solid inlay blanks”, shell dots or rounds, straight and curved shell strips, crushed shell flakes (or “brocade”), and unprocessed raw shell, as well as a few other stray bits!

In addition to shell products, we also carry two full-color posters showing solid blanks and laminated Abalam® sheets. We’re always available for technical support and can hook you up with other hard-to find inlay and luthiery industry sources, regardless of whether or not you purchase directly from us or from someone else.

Museum conservator, sign maker, stringed instrument builder, furniture craftsman, jeweler, whatever your creative specialty, we hope you enjoy your Castle visit, stay as long as you want, stick your head in all the rooms, take something home, and even initiate an audience with Her Worshipful Pearlkeep, Lady Ellen Aulson.

Thanks again for being such loyal subjects!
Duke of Pearl – The world’s best source for top quality mother-of-pearl (“MOP”) and abalone shell materials