Sterling Silver Fossil Ammonite and Mother-of-Pearl Pendant

Beautiful mother-of-pearl has long been used in jewelry and for other decorative purposes. Also known as nacre, mother-of-pearl is the lustrous layer found on the inside of shells of certain mollusk species. The smoothness of the material protects the mollusk's body and defends against damage and disease. If the mollusk's body becomes irritated by a parasite or foreign body, the animal may isolate the cause of the problem by encasing it in secreted nacre. The resulting object is a pearl.