As a crucial part of culture, religion exists in the world in various forms.All religious forms have one thing in common, which is inseparable from the precious stones, especially pearls.
In Buddhism, pearl is regarded as the one of the Seven Treasures and the path is overlaid with gold, pearls and agate in western Paradise;In Christianity, when God created the Garden ofEden, he put some pearls and agate in the river; In Taoist temples, pearls are used fordecorating the artifacts.From AD 641 to 1517, Persia was a part of the Kingdom of Islam. During the period, the Islamic rulers amassed an amount of pearls for making fine jewelry and decorating statues, temples, religious objects as well as book's covers. Since ancient times, pearls have been magical and mysterious in the eyes of the people. It is scarce and expensive and has a high aesthetic value. Therefore, pearl is viewed as a totem in many religious creeds and scriptures and is worshipped by people in a variety of rituals.
The holy role of pearl in religion is closely related to its unique aesthetic features.For example, the precious pearls, which are used for decorating the statues, temples and religious objects, bring the believers a firm faith that they enjoy the grace from God because of pearl's soft luster. In addition, as the symbols of gentleness and perfection,pearl satisfies people's ideal life standards which should be compassionate, generous and friendly with others.
