For anyone interested in more on tortoiseshell in particular, the Wikipedia article is a good starting point: > Tortoiseshell was widely used from ancient time

For anyone interested in more on tortoiseshell in particular, the Wikipedia article is a good starting point: > Tortoiseshell was widely used from ancient times in the North and in Asia, until the trade was banned in 2014. It was used, normally in thin slices or pieces, in the manufacture of a wide variety of items such as combs, small boxes and frames, inlays in furniture (known as Boulle Work carried out by André-Charles Boulle), and other items: frames for spectacles, guitar picks and knitting needles. Despite being expensive, tortoiseshell was attractive to manufacturers and consumers because of its beautiful mottled appearance, its durability, and its organic warmth against the skin. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortoiseshell https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tortoiseshell