Manufacturer · Fashion & Home Accessories
Coloured mother of pearl buttons made from Akoya shell combine the natural lustre of the shell with an exact Pantone colour. Polkom is a manufacturer of mother of pearl buttons and dyes Akoya shell to any Pantone shade, with 2 or 4 holes, in sizes from 9 mm to 34 mm. The result is a button that matches the fabric yet remains genuine mother of pearl – with its own pattern and iridescence on every single piece.
What is Akoya mother of pearl
Akoya is the name of the pearl oyster Pinctada fucata, best known for classic round pearls. The inner layer of its shell is nacre – dense, fine and with a typical pink-silver iridescence. Our buttons are cut from genuine mother of pearl from sea and ocean shells and molluscs, not from plastic with a pearl effect. That is why every Akoya shell button has its own pattern: in one place the layers form waves, in another soft “clouds” or an almost even surface.
Akoya nacre is even and takes dye well, which makes it a practical base for coloured collections. To compare it with trochus, white, black and freshwater shell, see the article types of mother of pearl for buttons; for the basics of the material, read what is a mother of pearl button.
Dyed shell buttons in any Pantone colour
During dyeing the colour penetrates the upper layers of the nacre. The layered structure is not lost, so the iridescence stays visible beneath the colour – a blue button looks like mother of pearl in blue, not like painted plastic. We can dye Akoya mother of pearl buttons to any colour in the Pantone system: pastel tones for babywear, vivid shades for a summer collection, dark hues for eveningwear or the exact corporate colour of your brand.
The gallery shows some of the colours we have already produced: natural, white, grey, dark, blue, light blue, purple and green. They are only examples – the final colour is defined by your Pantone code.
How Pantone colour matching works
- Enquiry – you send the Pantone code (for example a TCX or TPX textile reference), the size, the number of holes and the type of garment.
- Sample – we dye a sample in the required colour and size.
- Colour approval – you compare the sample with the fabric and the Pantone card in daylight and either approve the shade or ask for a correction.
- Production – the run is dyed to the approved sample, which remains the reference for the order.
- Check on delivery – you compare the batch with the reference before the buttons go into garment production.
If you plan several batches over a season, also read mother of pearl buttons wholesale, which explains how to keep the same shade across deliveries.
Dyed or natural colour: what to expect
Natural mother of pearl has its own base tone – white, cream, greyish or with pink and green highlights. When the shell is dyed, this tone affects the final result, so a coloured mother of pearl button is never identical down to the last detail the way a plastic one is.
- The pattern shows through the colour – lighter and darker bands of nacre remain and make every button unique.
- Light and pastel tones are the most translucent and reveal the most natural lustre.
- Dark and saturated colours are denser and more even, but the iridescence is still visible at an angle.
- Small differences between buttons in one run are normal for a natural material and are not a defect.
- Undyed – Akoya shell can also be ordered in its natural colour when you want a completely natural look.
How to tell genuine coloured mother of pearl from a plastic imitation is explained in real mother of pearl or imitation.
Mother of pearl button sizes from 9 to 34 mm
We produce coloured Akoya mother of pearl buttons in the range from 9 mm to 34 mm. The standard sizes are listed in the table. Ligne (L) values are calculated with the formula L = mm / 0.635 and rounded; where the result falls between two catalogue values, the nearest standard ligne is also given.
| Diameter (mm) | Ligne (L) | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| 9 | 14L | shirt collar and cuff, babywear |
| 10 | 16L | shirt, blouse, childrenswear |
| 11.5 | 18L | shirt front, blouse, dress |
| 12.5 | 20L | blouse, dress, light cardigan |
| 15 | 24L | knitwear, dress, jacket sleeve |
| 18 | 28L | cardigan, overshirt |
| 20 | 31L (≈32L) | women’s blazer, jacket |
| 22 | 35L (≈36L) | jacket, summer jacket |
| 25 | 39L (≈40L) | coat, decorative button |
| 28 | 44L | coat |
| 30 | 47L (≈48L) | coat, statement button |
| 34 | 54L | decorative button, oversized styles |
A full ligne-to-millimetre conversion chart is in the article button sizes in ligne and mm, and the exact sizes for shirt front, collar and cuff are in mother of pearl shirt buttons – sizes.
2 holes or 4 holes
Coloured Akoya buttons are made with 2 and with 4 holes. The 4-hole button is the classic for shirts and childrenswear – it sits more securely, and the stitching can be crossed or parallel, which adds a small decorative detail. The 2-hole button looks cleaner and is often preferred for blouses, dresses, knitwear and larger decorative buttons. With coloured mother of pearl, think about the thread too: sewing thread matched to the button gives a seamless look, while a contrasting thread emphasises the colour.
Which garments suit coloured mother of pearl buttons
- Shirts – 10–11.5 mm buttons in the fabric colour for plain shirts, or in a contrasting colour as an accent on collar and cuffs.
- Blouses – pastel and light tones that flatter fine fabrics such as silk, viscose and batiste.
- Dresses – long rows of small buttons on the back or front; the colour can pick up the fabric print.
- Childrenswear – cheerful colours and 4-hole buttons sewn on very securely; the smallest sizes suit babywear.
- Knitwear – cardigans and jumpers with 15–20 mm buttons that bring colour and natural lustre to the knit.
- Blazers, jackets and coats – the larger sizes from 22 to 34 mm as functional or decorative buttons.
More ideas for fine fabrics and long button rows are in the article mother of pearl buttons for blouses and dresses.
How to order coloured Akoya shell buttons
So that we can prepare a quote and a sample, please include in your enquiry:
- the Pantone code or a fabric swatch the button has to match;
- the diameter in mm or ligne;
- 2 or 4 holes;
- the approximate quantity and the garment the buttons are for;
- whether you also need a laser-engraved logo – see mother of pearl buttons with logo and our engraved buttons.
Price, minimum quantity and lead time depend on size, colour and order volume, so please contact us for a quote.
A short note on care
Dyed mother of pearl is cared for like natural nacre: wash at a low temperature on a delicate cycle, iron on the reverse or around the buttons, and avoid bleach and harsh detergents. Saturated colours are best tested on a trial garment before series production, especially if the garment will be washed often. Details are in the article mother of pearl buttons: washing, ironing and dry cleaning.
Coloured mother of pearl buttons from the manufacturer
Polkom is a Bulgarian manufacturer of buttons and accessories for fashion, furniture, footwear and bags, based in Sofia. We make Akoya mother of pearl buttons in natural colour and dyed to Pantone, with 2 and 4 holes, from 9 to 34 mm. Browse our mother of pearl buttons in the gallery and send us your colour – we will prepare a sample for approval.
