These handmade buttons are made especially for the collector by India artisans. They are handpainted on a material called vegetable ivory (Corozo) harvested from palm trees in South America. The base metal is an alloy of copper and zinc. The patterns are inlaid into the metal using a grooving tool and a small hammer. When the piece is accomplished, it is dipped into ammonium chloride which turns the zinc/copper black and leaves the silver bright. They are then polished and a shank attached. These pieces may also be ordered as an oval pendant with a loop at the top rather than a button shank on the back