Refers to a number of marine bivalve molluscs that famously give us beautiful, naturally shaped pearls in all tones of off-whites and greys, to be worn in jewellery of course, but also in furnishings as buttons and beads. The beauty of natural pearls lies in the irregularity of form and colouration and we prefer to use these than the more perfectly sized ‘farmed’ ones, which can look a bit as though a machine has made them.
Equally, both the matte and shiny sides of oyster shells can be and are made into attractive buttons. It’s possible to find oyster shell gaming chips for sale in antiques fairs, often on the stands that deal in silver and glass.
Oyster coloured fabrics and paints are on the warmer side of the off-white, creamy neutrals and encompass all of the shades and tones found in the natural oyster shell, or indeed the pearl.