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Pearl is a valued gem used for making ornaments and also to adorn other articles. The characteristics of a pearl are different according to its source. Some myths or traditional stories also are associated with its formation. The examination of the genuineness of pearls and several techniques for increasing its lustre were known to ancient Indians. Even though Pearls are used to make all sorts of ornaments, it is more popular with neck ornaments. The expression 罢腻谤补h膩ra is common. A pearl is known by several names. 艢耻办迟颈, 惭耻办迟腻, 惭耻办迟腻phala, 惭耻办迟腻ma峁噄 and 罢腻谤补 are some of them.

In Atharvaveda^[1] it is stated that pearls are bones of gods.

According to 骋补谤耻岣峚辫耻谤腻峁嘺^[2], pearls are got from eight places -conch shell, bamboo, cobra, boar, temples of elephants and from clouds. Of these, pearl produced from shell can be pricked while others are not apt for perforation. Those obtained from cobra, fish, boar and conch are auspicious; but have no lustre. Pearls originating from conch and temples of elephants are of least value. One wearing the pearl derived from cobra hood will be blessed with wealth, prosperity and even kingdom. It has the power to take away all sorts of pollution, poison, sorcery and taints. It is stated in 骋补谤耻岣峚辫耻谤腻峁嘺 that the teeth of the demon Bala that fell into the shells were transformed into pearls. These shell born pearls are again divided into eight. They are Sai峁僪alika (厂颈峁僪补濒补), P膩ralaukika (The other world), 厂补耻谤腻峁ａ弓谤颈办补 (厂耻谤腻峁�t谤补), 罢腻尘谤补辫补谤峁嘺 (The river 罢腻尘谤补辫补谤峁噄办腻), 笔腻谤补艣补惫补, 笔腻峁囜笉测补, 贬腻峁璦办补, Kauberika (Kubera) and Hemaka. About the mode of wearing a pearl, it is said that one should wear a big pearl glazing like a white glass. This pearl should be kept in mercury. Such a pearl threaded in a gold necklace is considered best for the body. To examine the genuineness of a pearl, it is stated that the lustre of a real pearl will not be subjected to any change when it is placed in a heated solution of oil and water and then being rubbed with barley grains and covered with a cloth. To increase the lusre of a pearl, it should be boiled first with the juice of 闯补尘产墨谤补 (Big lemon) and mercury and then with milk, water and wine respectively. For this purpose pearl is to be placed in a fish cavity, that is smeared with clay and should be subjected to boiling in a pot containing the above mentioned solutions.

In 碍补耻峁璱濒墨测补 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补^[3], three sources of pearls are described鈥撆毘馨斐倬� (Pearl oyster), 艢补峁卥丑补 (Conch shell) and 笔谤补办墨谤峁嘺 (Flow of water). Besides these, pearls are categorised into ten according to the area from where they are excavated.

They are pointed out in the table given below.

Name	Region
罢腻尘谤补辫补谤峁噄办腻	River 罢腻尘谤补辫补谤峁噄 in 笔腻峁囜笉测补 country.
笔腻峁囜笉测补v膩峁璦ka	Mountain 惭补濒补测补办辞峁璱
笔腻艣颈办测补	River 笔腻艣颈办补 in 笔腻峁璦濒墨辫耻迟谤补
Kauleya	River Kula in Si峁僪abh奴mi
颁补耻谤峁噛补	River 颁奴谤峁嚹� in Kerala
Mahendra	Seashore near Mahendra mountain.
碍腻谤诲颈尘补办补	Kardama river in Iran.
厂补峁僼谤腻蝉墨测补	River Sautrasi in Barbar country
贬谤腻诲颈测补	艢谤墨办丑补峁囜笉补 lake in Barbar country
Haimavanta	Mountain 贬颈尘腻濒补测补

The quality of a pearl depends on its shape, colour and such other features. 碍补耻峁璱濒墨测补 础谤迟丑补艣腻蝉迟谤补^[4] describes the signs of good as well as imperfect pearls.

Thirteen varieties of substandard pearls are described in it. They are as follows.

Name	Defect
惭补蝉奴谤补办补	Shape of a lentil grain
罢谤颈辫耻峁璦办补	Triangular in shape
碍奴谤尘补办补	Tortoise shaped
Ardhacandra	Design of a crescent
碍补帽肠耻办颈迟补	Thickly wrapped
Yamaka	Two pearls joined together
Kartaka	Busted
Kharaka	Rough
Siktaka	Speckled
碍腻尘补峁囜笉补濒耻办补	Resembling the bowl of a sage
艢测腻惫补	Brown in colour
狈墨濒补	Blue coloured
Duroiddha	Not pierced at the proper place

An excellent pearl according to 碍补耻峁璱濒测补^[5] will be radiant, heavy, huge, soft, round without a base, white and properly stabbed.

Bharata^[6] suggests pearl ornaments for characters belonging to the mythical class such as 狈腻驳墨, 厂颈诲诲丑腻 women, goddesses etc.

碍腻濒颈诲腻蝉补^[7] gives allusion to the pearl derived from the elephant temples. He also mentions plenty of pearls found in the region of river T膩峁價apar峁噄.

Pearls were in abundance in the country at the time of 础艣惫补驳丑辞峁�a^[8], for which evidence is found in his works. Reference to 搁补迟苍补诲惫墨辫补 perhaps points out that plenty of pearls were available there.

础尘补谤补办辞艣补^[9] gives the name 膧spho峁璦n墨 and Vaidh膩峁噄ka to the instrument used to penetrate a pearl.

In 叠峁沨补迟蝉补峁僪颈迟腻^[10], there is a separate section devoted to pearls in the chapter entitled 搁补迟苍补辫补谤墨办峁Ｄ�. The tables given below describe the different features of different pearls, pointed out by 痴补谤腻丑补尘颈丑颈谤补.

[Based on the Region]

Region	Characteristics
厂颈峁僪补濒补 (Ceylon)	Various shapes, lustrous, big, similar to swan in colour
罢腻尘谤补辫补谤峁噄 river (Madras state)	Glossy, white with a red shade
Paraloka (Travankore area)	Of various colours -Black, white, yellow, uneven, mixed with rock fragments
Sur膩峁�tra (Kathiawad peninsula)	Medium sized, butter coloured
笔腻谤补艣墨办补 (Persia)	Radiant, clear, weighty, precious.
贬颈尘腻濒补测补	Light weight, double shaped, curd coloured
笔腻峁囜笉测补v膩峁璦ka	Very small, looks like neem fruit in shape and coriander seed in colour.
Kubera (A northern country)	Lustrous, black and white, having proper size.

[Based on Different Sources]

Source	Features
Elephant temples	Various types and shapes, big, lustrous
Boar	Costly, similar to moon in colour
Clouds	Having brilliance of lightening
Serpents	Blue hue
Bamboo	Flat, looks like camphor or crystal
Conch	Round, glossy, resembles moon
Fish	Big, looks like a fish eye, precious, pure

On the basis of its colour, each pearl has a presiding deity. The table given below describes it.

Colour	Deity
Resembling A峁璦艣墨 flower	痴颈峁ａ箛耻
Colour of moon	Indra
Yellow orpiment	痴补谤耻峁嘺
Black	Yama
Similar to the seed of a ripe 顿腻岣峣尘腻 or 骋耻帽箩腻	痴腻测耻
Lotus coloured, lustre of a smoky fire	Agni

叠峁沨补迟蝉补峁僪颈迟腻^[11] describes some astrological phenomena in connection with the origin of pearls from the temples of elephant.

The price of a pearl is fixed not merely on the basis of its weight, its shape, size; colour and lustre also are some factors that determine its real value. 叠峁沨补迟蝉补峁僪颈迟腻 charts out the prices of pearl.

Footnotes and references:

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[1]:

IX.33

[2]:

I.69.2, 3, 10, 11,12, 14, 16, 23, 35, 3738, 39

[3]:

DAOAI, p.140

[4]:

Ibid

[5]:

Ibid

[6]:

狈腻峁瓂补艣腻蝉迟谤补, XXI.56-76

[7]:

搁补驳丑耻惫补峁兣沘, IV

[8]:

Saundarananda, XVI.98,VIII.50; Buddhacarita.12

[9]:

2.10.33

[10]:

LXXX.2-6, 9, 17-18, 20, 21, 23, 24, 28, 22, 27

[11]:

Ibid, 20-21