Mother of Pearl or Abalone button

[villagenut]

sifted these buttons today and when I doused the one with some water to clean it on site...it started to flake apart in my hands. Not sure how old they are but I think they wanted to stay put because this new environment obviously doesn't sit well with them. Anyhow, the second one I have left in the clod and will probably gently remove the dirt without water.Heck, I thought these things would love water. Anyone know what to do to get the untouched one off to a better start in its new environment before I ruin it. They are about an inch and a half in diameter and the small glass four hole is here for size reference.

 

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[villagenut]

I decided to get the clod of dirt off of the second button and was surprised that it was not identical. The first one that I rinsed is a two hole with a diamond pattern incised around the holes and this second one is a four hole. From the same hole, I would have thought off the same garment, same buttons....not so. It is a little flaky around the edge so I have them put to bed for now in a cozy dry place...

 

[btjbtj]

Hi, pretty buttons, and I don't know the age. But I do know they are very common in the sewing world! -Lisa

 

[villagenut]

Hi, pretty buttons, and I don't know the age. But I do know they are very common in the sewing world! -Lisa

They sure seem to be not the strongest material for a button, especially for the size....not to mention the weakend center due to the attachment holes.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

those are pretty big for shell buttons, at least from the ones I've seen.... I didn't know they made them that big.

Just a side note, I remember when I was a kid we found a pile of hundreds of freshwater clam shells on the Illinois river bank that all had neat circular holes in them. My grandfather told me that there had been a shop there when he was young that made buttons. I wish I had kept some of those now....