So I won an auction and now I have questions!

[SteveM]

@StarryPearl's 'Like' today offered a repeat glimpse of this image. As a pianist and former dealer in high-end European grand pianos it was a dream of mine to source MOP for piano keytops. Cutting and matching 52 sections of shell long and straight enough for the white keys on a standard keyboard would make such keytops rarer than the rarist natural pearls.

Following the ban on ivory, custom natural keytop alternatives have been offered by prestige piano producers, including Mammoth tusk (no longer in danger of extinction!). Accordians made hay with 'pearloid' plastic keys, just imagine a piano keyboard with orient!

Edit: Imagination no longer required (second image).

 

[CortezPearls]

Wow! They look GREAT Steve!

 

[SteveM]

Wow! They look GREAT Steve!

Continuing my tendency to deviate threads, here is an actual MOP piano keyboard. Reality surpasses imagination!

Henry Hawkey Pianos, NYC, 1850 Square Grand. MOP naturals with Rosewood sharps. AI was not far off—I just didn't specify Rosewood sharps! You can see the keytops are in two rectangular pieces, as the largest shell would not produce a horizontal piece long enough. Also, this avoids right-angle notching of the MOP which would chip and break the brittle material.