Mother-of-pearl
moth·er-of-pearl | ˌmə-t͟hə-rə(v)-ˈpər(-ə)l
noun
The opalescent material on the inside of mollusk shells like oysters and mussels
Mother of pearl or mother of pearl shell is the layer of nacre that coats the inside of the mollusk shell in which pearls are formed. Because it is a much larger surface area than a pearl and it is the nacre itself, it can be scraped, sliced into thin layers, and then used as inlay in a number of different items, including jewelry, furniture, handles for pieces like canes or spectacles and more. Mother of pearl inlay became popular during the Victorian era when the methods used to harvest it became significantly more efficient. It is now considered a non-renewable resource and new mother of pearl is carefully managed to avoid over-harvesting. Most mother of pearl exists in vintage pieces similar to ivory.