Why are Pearl Buttons so Special?
In the first place, they are made of a completely natural ingredient with no processing except cutting, drilling, and polishing. They have natural luster and luminescence.  Though many attempts have been made to imitate these characteristics in plastic, all have failed.
The strength of a properly made pearl button is the stuff of legend.  But a bit of caveat emptor is in order. Many "shell" buttons exist. The vast majority are of a substance known as "troca" in the button industry. This catch-all term simply means "shell". Most are cut from what we know as a conch shell. The virtually infinite spiral yields a huge quantity of buttons. Others, even some of pearl, are cut from the thinnest part of the oyster and are too weak. These can be recognized by dark spots or flaking on the rear.

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