Mother of Pearl
Mother of Pearl provides the shine and lustre of pearls in larger, flatter pieces of material that have many uses in furniture, jewelry, etc. It is, as the name suggests, closely related to the pearl.
What Is Mother of Pearl?
Mother of pearl is the common name for nacre. This is a substance secreted by certain molluscs and is most commonly known as the shiny coating on pearls. It's a part organic, part inorganic compound.A pearl is actually a special case of nacre production. Molluscs secrete nacre normally to produce a protective coating inside their shell. This lining is then harvested to produce mother of pearl.
Mother of pearl is produced naturally in a variety of colours, although the most well known is a creamy white. You can also buy black mother of pearl which is more common in marquetry and furniture inlays than jewelry. The basic white variety is also sometimes dyed other colours.
Common uses of mother pearl include jewelry such as rings and necklaces as well as accessories such as watches and hand mirrors. Another frequent use is on musical instruments.
For the pirate fan you can also buy treasure chests inlaid with mother of pearl designs. I can't help thinking that such stylistic touches would have been lost on most pirates!