Frequently Asked Questions

Where are your buttons made?

Our buttons are all made in Italy, where the factory takes button blanks and drills the holes before performing the finishing and polishing process.

Where does your mother of pearl come from?

Mother of Pearl is also known as nacre and refers to the shiny part of an oyster shell. Our Mother of Pearl buttons are all made from blanks that come from the thickest part of Australian oysters, which are farmed in a renewable manner.

I’m not familiar with sizes such as 16L and 18L.  What do they mean, and what’s the difference?

Buttons are commonly measured in Lignes (also called lines and abbreviated L), with 40 Lignes equal to 1 inch of diameter. Many men's shirts have a main button that is size 16 lignes, or 10.16mm. This 16L button is used down the front placket, for the collar and on the cuffs, while a size 14L button (8.89mm) is typically used for the smaller button on the underside of the forearm sleeve.

Prestige Buttons proudly offers our Standard style Mother of Pearl Buttons in 16L size at 4.0mm thick and 14L size at 3.5mm thick.

However, some shirts are made with size 18L buttons and are ready to go to the next level with our Ultimate Mother of Pearl buttons! We offer beautiful, curved 18L (11.6mm diameter) buttons with a 3.5mm thickness for the front placket and cuffs while complementing them with the matching 16L size (3.2mm thick) used for the collar and forearm sleeves. The curved 14L, at 2.8mm thick, are perfect for the button-down collar. This family of buttons is truly the best of the best!

How should I care for my shirts after putting your Mother of Pearl buttons on them?

The absolute best way to take care of both your shirt and your Mother of Pearl buttons is to hand wash in cold water then hang (or line) dry. However, not everyone has the time or ability to hand wash their shirts. In that case, we recommend using a gentle cycle on your washing machine with Cold wash and Cold rinse, followed by hang (or line) dry. Iron your shirt as needed. If you decide to dry clean your shirt, please inform the cleaner to avoid contact with your Mother of Pearl buttons when using any kind of heated press.

How durable are Mother of Pearl buttons?

Our thick Mother of Pearl buttons are actually quite resistant to chipping and cracking! However, it is best to still use care in cleaning and maintaining your shirts. Follow the instructions above for cleaning your clothing, if possible.

Where will my buttons ship from?

All button orders ship from our quality sorting facility, located in Washington, U.S.A.

Do you ship internationally to my country?

Yes! We ship our buttons anywhere in the world, including your country, and we try to make the shipping costs as reasonable as possible for our customers.

UPDATE: Due to Brexit and new VAT regulations, please contact us if you would like to place an order that ships into the United Kingdom!

Do you offer tracking for my button shipment?

All of our button packages shipped within the United States have tracking automatically included. Every International package has a U.S. Customs Export number associated with it, which shows tracking status until the package leaves a U.S. Export facility. We do offer additional options for International packages.

What is the best way to swap out the plain plastic buttons on my shirt with your Mother of Pearl buttons?

Please see our Button Tutorial page for some step-by-step instructions with photos!

I’m looking for a specific size/color of button but I don’t see it on your website. Can you help me?

We would be happy to try to help out! Please use the Contact page and send us a message with your specific needs.

How do I know what size buttons are needed for my shirt?

If you are replacing buttons that are already on a shirt, the best way is to measure them. Our button pages have specifications on diameters in both English and Metric units. Matching up diameters is important when replacing buttons in order to make sure that the buttonholes in your shirt will fit your new buttons.

Are your suit buttons really made of Buffalo Horn?

Yes, our suit jacket buttons are made of 100% authentic Buffalo Horn, sourced from India.

I thought that Buffaloes were endangered, how are you selling Buffalo Horn suit buttons?

You may be thinking of American Buffalo, otherwise known as Bison. They are no longer endangered as they were a long time ago. Our buttons are sourced from Indian water buffalo, which are not endangered and are sustainably raised as a part of the agricultural system.

How long will it take to get my buttons?

Transit times will be different to every destination so there is no right answer! In general, most First Class Domestic packages mailed within the U.S. will take about 2 to 4 days to delivery. International packages vary even more but most places seem to take about 4 to 7 business days. However, please consider that the package must clear your country’s Customs and additional delay can sometimes occur.