Aquatic Alchemy Heady Hat Pin

This heady hat pin features a beautiful piece of black mother of pearl. The shell boasts a beautiful array of pink and blue in the right light.

Mother of pearl, also called nacre, is an iridescent layer of material which forms the shell lining of many mollusks. It is made primarily of secretions of calcium carbonate that oysters or abalone excrete to protect themselves from parasites. It is the same compound that collects around substances such as sand in an oyster to create a pearl. (http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-mother-of-pearl.htm) In many cases mother of pearl is dyed used for jewelry and other decorative purposes, as in the case of this piece which is dyed black.

The mother of pearl is intricately wire wrapped using silver colored copper wire. *IMPORTANT NOTE*The wire is sold as non-tarnish, but it can tarnish if often exposed to water (especially salt water).** However the tarnish can add a unique vintage look to the piece.

Size: 1.2" x 1" at widest points