Mother of pearl

Mother-of-pearl has been used in jewelry since the Bronze Age, from the Ottoman Empire to the Mayans to Ancient Egypt. Organic and non-mineral material, its iridescent whiteness fascinates and has made it popular in jewelry but also in marquetry and haberdashery for the making of buttons.
Its milky whiteness makes it a material associated with femininity and softness, which evokes maternal love and tenderness.