Mother of Pearl Shell Beads Chief sources of mother of pearl are the pearl oyster, freshwater pearl mussels, and abalone. Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is an iridescent organic-inorganic composite material produced by some mollusks as an inner shell layer and also is what makes up pearls. It is very strong, resilient, and iridescent. Nacre appears iridescent with different colors of light being reflected at different viewing angles. Use: Lustrous and colorful, mother-of-pearl shell beads are commonly used in jewelry making and are a beautiful addition to most any craft creation. Shape: Flat Puffed Round Coin Color: Golden Brown Shells exhibit occasional natural dark markings Enhancements: Dyed Approximate Size: 10mm Approximate Thickness: 3mm Approximate Hole Size: 1mm Hole Orientation: Center-Drilled, Side-to-Side Quantity: Sold Per 16-Inch Strand Approximately 40 Beads May be on temporary strand or equal in loose beads Being an item of nature, size, shape & color will vary Picture represents entire beautiful lot - Strand shipped selected at random