List of raw materials used in button-making

Please see external links for images of buttons (front & back) made from the material(s) in question. ("NBS name" refers to labelling used by the National Button Society, USA.)

animal-derived

 * bone
 * horn
 * horsehair
 * ivory
 * leather
 * pearl
 * shell (Images of buttons made from all the shell types listed below)
 * seashells:

• : abalone

• : conch

• : cowry

• : helmut

• : mother of pearl

• : mussels

• : nautilus

• : operculum

• : oyster

• : pearl oyster

• : pinna

• : trochus

• : turbo snail
 * land shells:
 * emerald green snail shell

plant-derived
• coconut shell

• bamboo

• gourd

• gutta percha

• Tagua Nut

• natural, woven fabrics and/or textiles

• linoleum

• paper (e.g. papier mache)

• rubber

• vegetable ivory

• wood

Rocks and minerals (or predominantly mineral-derived substances)

 * bauxite
 * catlinite
 * cinnabar
 * coal
 * enamel
 * glass
 * gypsum (a.k.a. plaster of Paris)
 * marcasite
 * metals:
 * aluminium
 * brass
 * pot metal
 * sterling silver
 * steel


 * whiteware ceramics:
 * earthenware
 * china

plastics
• acrylic resin

• bakelite

• catalin (NBS name: phenolic or bakelite type)

• celluloid

• galalith, a.k.a. casein (NBS name: casein)

• lucite

• melamine formaldehyde (NBS name: amino resin)

• phenolic resin (NBS name: phenolic or bakelite type)

• urea-formaldehyde (NBS name: amino resin)

synthetic fibres

 * synthetic textiles