Mother of pearl is the shimmering coating on the inside of mollusc shells. It is so named because when an irritation gets inside a shell, the shell protects itself by coating the irritant with the same material (nacre) of its lining that creates pearls (therefore, this substance is the creator, or mother, of pearls!).

Mother-of-pearl shells have been treasured as jewellery for many centuries and became highly sought after in the 1850s. The continual movement of water in that time caused oysters to be washed and turned regularly on seabed’s, consequently growing to immense sizes. These mother-of-pearl masses became used extensively in Europe for buttons, knife handles and jewellery. In China, mother of pearl has been prescribed for thousands of years to treat heart palpitations, dizziness and high blood pressure. In Vietnam, it has been powdered and taken orally to get better vision and remove cataracts. Mystics believe it to stimulate intuition, sensitivity, imagination and adaptability, and help with clarity in decision-making. Mother of pearl symbolizes faith, charity and innocence, and conventionally has been used to strengthen the environment and bring greater purity to the atmosphere.

Among the principal sources of this gemstone are the pearl oyster, found in warm and tropical seas, predominantly in Asia; the freshwater pearl mussel, which lives in many rivers of the United States and Europe; and the abalone of California, Japan and other Pacific regions. Mother of Pearl is connected with the astrological sign Pisces.