Hello -
Well for my mother in law's 50th birthday, we aren't doing the cake (boo hoo) but I do like to make something edible as a little gift anyway for birthdays. I thought about making an oyster shell with a pearl inside as a way to say 50 years has made her into a pearl, etc.

Well what I've thought of so far is taking madeleine cookies and dipping them in white chocolate...then placing them together to make an oyster shell...gluing with royal icing? But it probably won't hold it up entirely so then maybe making the pearl (big white chocolate ball?) big enough to prop it up.
I don't know if any of that would work.

I've also thought about just making the bottom half of the oyster shell out of fondant? Or something that you can mold into that shape (and edible) to hold a pearl?

Any and all ideas would be VERY appreciated!!!!!

I'd go with the fondant/gumpaste. (I use pettinice.) Anyway, I would think the cookie would be too fragile! I remember reading about a swimmers cake here at Cake Central and they used a cookie swimmer. Unfortunately the cookie broke.......