How to Inlay Turquoise Into Wood

Inlaid turquoise can turn a plain, wooden piece of furniture or jewelry into a work of art. Inlay includes marquetry and mosaic techniques, creating patterns, embellishments and pictures by alternating various colors and textures of wood, stone, glass and gems. Marquetry is a nearly lost art which is undergoing a revival, thanks to societies for its preservation, and to the emerging popularity of steampunk and Victoriana in jewelry and furniture embellishment.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Turquoise cabochons
• Your desired piece of decorative hardwood
• Dremel tool
• Woodcutting burr set
• Artist's utility knife or small woodcarving knives
• Very sharp pencil
• Coarse, medium, fine and extra fine sandpaper
• Your desired wood finish
• 5-minute epoxy

1. Sand and finish the wood you intend to inlay. Use coarse, medium, fine and extra fine sandpaper, in that order. Lay the turquoise cabochons on the wood in any desired arrangement.

2. Use a very sharp pencil to outline each turquoise cabochon, drawing the shape as close to the turquoise as possible. Lay each cabochon aside as they are outlined.

3. Use a square-ended woodcutting, burring bit on a Dremel tool to cut the wood to the depth of the turquoise cabochons. Cut as close to the pencil lines as possible without going outside them. There will still be wood in the corners and close to the lines that will need to be removed.

4. Use an artist's utility knife to cut along the inside of the lines and into the corners to remove the remaining material. Cut only a little bit at a time, testinh the fit of the inlay by placing the turquoise in the hole after each cut. It should fit flat and tight.

5. Mix a small amount of 5-minute epoxy. Coat the back of the turquoise cabochon with a drop of epoxy, place it in the hole and press down. Wipe away any excess. Polish the wood and stone as desired.

Resources

• Turquoise Quality and Its Use in Jewelry
• Turquoise: Facts, Lore, History and Myth
• Marquetry