Hi
Many of these seem to have been made in the Middle East, with varying degrees of skill. They often have catches to the reverse that look as if they have been made by a beginner in metalwork class!
I think that the average oyster wouldn't yield a large enough piece of shell, so it is:
Pinctada is a genus of saltwater oysters, marine bivalve mollusks in the family Pteriidae, the pearl oysters. These oysters have a strong inner shell layer composed of nacre, also known as "mother of pearl".
Good old Wikipedia to the rescue!
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