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mother-of-pearl - food of immortality
Mother-of-pearl's (MOP's) iridescence comes from it's many fine layers of argonite -- approximately 450 - 5,000 layers for each 1/25" of thickness -- and the physical interaction between the argonite crystals and light waves.
"Mother-of-pearl" became so named because a tiny nucleus of MOP is used to 'seed' or 'beget' cultured pearls.
The natural color of MOP is different among species. White MOP comes from one side of the pinctada maxima, gold-hued MOP from its reverse side, and black or dark rainbow-hued MOP from the pinctada margaritifera .
 the shining lining

black-lipped pearl oyster
photo: pearling.net

Removing the outer layer of certain shells reveals an iridescent lining with a shimmer-y play of color.
This is known as mother-of-pearl or nacre, an iridescent substance that forms the lining of the shells of some fresh-water and some salt-water mollusks.
Like the pearl it is a secretion of the mantle, composed of alternate layers of calcium carbonate (argonite) and conchiolin (a fibrous insoluble protein that forms the basic structure of the shells of mollusks).
Among the chief sources of mother-of-pearl are the pearl oyster, found in warm and tropical seas, chiefly in Asia; freshwater pearl mussels, which live in many rivers of the United States (including the Mississippi), Europe, and Asia; and the abalone of California, Japan, and other Pacific regions.

symbolic attributes

metaphysical
energy receptive / yin
planet Moon, Neptune
element water, chi