Mother of Pearl Buttons:
The need of fastening is almost as ancient as clothing. Of course,
primarily this was done with knots, pins, hooks, loops, and
anything else that can hold together two layers of fabric or
leather. The first buttons appear during the Bronze Age. The oldest
ones are found in the valley of Indus River, in what is now the
land of India. They were made of any kind of material that was easy
for processing.
Today the various shell buttons are manifestation of the tendency
towards the use of natural materials that is quire steady in recent
decades. Shell, the raw material they are manufactured of, is very
close in composition to the true pearls. It is secreted by the
mollusc in its attempt to make the shell perfectly smooth and to
prevent itself from the irritating effect of foreign matter and
parasites that have got inside the shell. Actually it represents
platelets of calcium carbonate, arranged parallel to the surface.
These layers are separated by sheets of elastic biopolymers that
contribute to the shell strength. When you select shell buttons,
remember that the difference between them and the true pearls is
very small. In the pearls the platelets of calcium carbonate are
arranged perpendicular to the surface and radial to the irritant
that later transforms into a core of pearl. The shell colour may
range from dark to white, depending on the type of mollusc that
produces it. Its characteristic features are the brilliance and the
change of colour with the change of the angle from which it is
observed. During the millennia shell shells have been used for
different purposes, from a medium of exchange to impressive
material for jewellery, cameos and works of art, and of course –
for brilliant shell buttons.
History of the brilliant Pearl buttons:
The shiny appearance of the pearl attracted the attention of
the ancient people since the dawn of civilization. It shined in
various colours at the sunlight with sheer significance and beauty.
That is why pearl quickly found their place as decoration on the
garments. There was only one step further from their decorative
value to their fastening function, and this step was made in a
short time. Another important factor for the appearance of the
beautiful pearl buttons was that pearls are processed easily and
could be found in abundant quantities.
Many centuries have passed, during which time they were forgotten
at times, and at times again become fashionable. Since the middle
ages they have taken permanent place on our clothes. There have
been periods when dozens and hundreds of them were used. There is a
well-known royal garment of Francis I, which was trimmed with more
than 13,000 buttons. They were regarded as a sign for social and
wealth status and were available only to certain circles of
society.
In recent times the small pearl buttons become a scene for the
mastery of artists, engravers and jewellers. Often they were
transformed into works of art for which collectors were reluctant
pay substantial amounts.