What is the metal piece that covers an Arab woman's nose and lips and crosses her forehead.?

This veil is called a 'batoola'. Typically this is worn by older women. You don't see many younger women wearing them nowadays. Perhaps you would in the desert with traditional bedouin people.

It's a type of veil; however, I am not familiar as to what era and or country. What I do know is that some women have taken the gold coins they have receieved in way of a dowry and have fashioned them into a veil; a practice that is not common these days; whereas they mostly wear cloth veils these days. From watching a few Arab soaps I have seen women wearing veils that looked like nets.

Well if you don't want the stares, up the niqab on. I go to Manchester from time to time, and visit Arabic restaurants, and I don't get stared. I wear hijab. then again, the workers (All Arab) work with an Arab girl (the only one employed) who works there with sleeveless tight clothes, lots of make up and no hijab, so they stare at her instead.

I don't know...I've never witnessed this.

Very few American Muslim women do the "extreme" religious dress. The hijab tends to be the most they do.

I dunno but it's bullsh*t, there is nothing in the koran that says women have to wear this stuff.