Large Carved Silver-Tipped MOP Star Pendant; Odd Bale

This one is made from one half of an oyster shell. All these stars have been cut out of the nacreous wall of a much thicker shell.

Someone has actually done a pretty good job of refashioning the wire that makes the pin shown on the back in Cheryl's first example into a suspension loop on whit's piece. I would definitely use it on a tree, but

so a dual purpose piece.

Some Bethlehem examples here:

https://bethlehemfairtrade.org/product/mother-of-pearl-star-pendant/

 

Yes, it is. Historically they used shells from the oysters that also produced Red Sea pearls, but those oyster beds have suffered from overfishing and pollution, which is why the carvers had to turn to MOP from other sources.