Coque de perle, from the French for ‘pearl shell’ was a Georgian faux pearl carved from the East Indian nautilus shell. People loved the iridescence. By the latter half of the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company had imported enough nautiluses that prices fell. Makers began reshaping the nautilus shells into a fashionable veneer. Here, the nacre domes were mounted in metal / Pinchbeck bezels. Earwires were probably added later; they're testing 9ct gold. The shells aren't 100% secure in settings but seem to be safe enough right now. 1 1/8" tall (including earwires) x 3/8" wide. c..... 1820?