Carved "Columbus bean" pendant. Two inches high, about 3/4 inch thick. The carving goes all the way around; this shows the two flat sides. The inside is hollow.

This is a real bean, though a giant one, from a beanpod like the ones that more familiar beans and peas are from. The particular bean plant this is from, is a tropical one called "monkey ladder vine". The outer shell of these beans is very thick and hard, and the interior is mostly hollow, so if they fall into the water they can drift for thousands of miles. Supposedly, one of these that had drifted to Europe was used by Christopher Columbus as proof that there was land across the Atlantic Ocean (though he was sure it was Asia over here). There are several varieties, including somewhat heart-shaped ones called "sea hearts".