1950-1966 otherwise known as the McCarty Era was the most desirable era for Gibsons. 1966-1982 Were the Norlin years which is not as particularly the most favorable BUT there were some great guitars that came out so people still collect them. They are still worth quite a bit.

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Gibson’s quality declined in the Norlin era. It started in 1974 and lasted until about 1984 and the quality of the instruments was not to their usual standards.

Generally speaking, Les Pauls from the ’50s are the most desired, and the “Burst” Les Paul Standards from the late ’50s are some of the most sought-after vintage guitars on the market. Gibson did not produce any Les Pauls as we know them between 1961 and 1968, and the ones from the late ’60s are also highly regarded.

Mother of Pearl comes from some sort of sea shell – I’m not sure which one. Mother of Toilet seat (pearloid/ivoroid) is plastic. Gibson has prety much always used both. For instance Les Paul standards from the ’50 have pearloid/ivoroid inlays, Les Paul Customs have mother of pearl.

This is a generic name for any of a number of celluloid plastic laminates that are meant to give the overall look of mother-of-pearl or abalone, which are both expensive and becoming increasingly difficult to obtain. In contrast, the upscale Les Paul Custom uses real mother-of-pearl block inlays. …

Made from vintage correct cellulose nitrate material. Manufactured by Mazzucchelli, the original Italian factory that supplied Gibson in the 1950’s. Retrospec inlays are 0.070″ in thickness, with the pattern running all the way through to allow for sanding.

This prompted Dadie to look for an inexpensive collectible that could be handled by and would be of interest to her children. During the 1960s, she settled on celluloid, a new material developed by American inventor John Wesley Hyatt in 1869.

No one can say who ‘discovered’ pearls – probably they were first found by ancient peoples searching the shores for food. The Romans and Egyptians prized pearls and used them as decorative items as far back as the 5th Century BC. Chinese records mention them earlier still.

Longer pearls were fashionable in the early twenties and were getting shorter as the decade progressed. The quality and affordability of cultured “fake” peals during the decade made them an item every woman could afford. Fake pearls now came in light pastel colors instead of plain white.

The finest quality of natural pearls have been highly valued as gemstones and objects of beauty for many centuries. Because of this, pearl has become a metaphor for something rare, fine, admirable and valuable. The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild, but are extremely rare.

Jesus said, “The Father’s kingdom is like a merchant who had a supply of merchandise and found a pearl. That merchant was prudent; he sold the merchandise and bought the single pearl for himself. So also with you, seek his treasure that is unfailing, that is enduring, where no moth comes to eat and no worm destroys.”

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Quite possibly, the rarest pearl color is naturally occurring blue pearls. These pearls are so rare that they’re often difficult to come across at all. They can command high prices, especially if they’re South Sea or Tahitian blue pearls.