Do inlays identify different vintage models?

[KingFl]

I have my grandmother's round back mandolin s/n 220850, with the stepped neck end.  I see several others very similar, but with different inlays.  Why are they not the same, or did it depend on the craftsman building it (around 1890)?

[keef]

Yup - these period models can be distinguished by the inlay patterns...the more expensive, the more inlays (DUH). The most expensive styles had a solid pearl fingerboard.