Chinese character 钿

It names precious adornment or decorative inlay.

In Mandarin, 花钿 (huādiàn) is a hair or face ornament, while 螺钿 (luótián) is mother-of-pearl inlay. The readings are diàn (roughly “dyen,” falling tone) and tián (“tyen,” rising tone); the compound tells you which one to use.

An early Chinese dictionary supplement, 《说文新附》, glosses it as 金华也—roughly “metal flower,” pointing to the ornament sense.

Why do 花钿 and 螺钿 use 钿?

They name two kinds of decorative work.

During 唐代, 花钿 flourished as hair and face decoration. By 清代, 钿子 named a Manchu aristocratic headdress shaped for a 旗髻 hairstyle. In the Silla period, Korean records use 鈿 in terms for gemstone inlay. By the Nara period, Japan had adopted related 螺鈿 lacquerwork from China; its Japanese name is read roughly “ra-den.”