Different Names Of Pearl Gemstone in Texts And In Common Use

The White Pearl: Calming You All the Way 

Pearl Gemstone are one of the most beautiful gemstones put to use. Be it embedded in a necklace, or a simple string of beads, or in an elegant ring, they are a beautiful addition to your look. Well, Pearl Gemstone finds its location in deep seas, where divers go in regular search of shell mollusks to obtain a fine piece. So, it takes a lot of hard work to collect and bring them to people. 

Pearls don’t only look good for an ornamental purpose but also have a big impact on our lifestyle from an astrological point of view. Pearl stone has a great impact on our moods, our nature, the way we behave, and a lot of our characteristics. It has a long history in Vedic literature where it has been used time and again with different names for different purposes. 

So, let’s have a look at the various names of the pearls in the various texts:

Nacre/Natural Pearl

Well, Nacre is just an old English word for pearl. It traces its roots from the lineage of Latin, Arabian, and French narratives, and is widely used around the world to refer to this precious natural gemstone. It has no connection with the Indian literature whatsoever. 

Somaratna

Now comes one of the first references to pearl in the Indian ancient texts. The word Somaratna is a mixture of two words ‘Som' and ‘Ratna', where ‘Som' means the moon good, and ‘Ratna' means a jewel or a gem. They believed The Moon to be Godly in the ancient Indian texts and that's why this name appeared.

Shuktija

The word ‘Shukt’ in Sanskrit stands for ‘seep’ in Hindi, which refers to the shell mollusks where they find Pearls. When the ancient sages discovered the pearls hiding in these mollusks, they named it Shuktija which meant ‘born of Mollusks’.

Tarak

Tarak is a simple Hindi word which means ‘shining’. No wonder why they named it after a word which means shining. Though this word hasn’t seen vibrant use in much older texts, it has time and again been there in texts.

Chandraratna

Again, a combination of two words. ‘Chandra’ and ‘Ratna’, where the former means The Moon and the latter means ‘gem’. So, Chandraratna, or the Moon-gem, has constantly been used in pious literary works, highlighting its association with the Moon.

Astrologically, the Pearl is closely related to the impact of Moon on the human mind, and people wear pearls to establish proper control over their anger, state of mind, and nature. Astrologers and psychic readers usually suggest Moti gemstone to those with a short temper to keep their anger in check.   

Shashiratna

Another combination of two words, where ‘Shashi' means the moon and ‘Ratna' means gem. This word has seen its use in the place of chandraratna in various texts, mostly as a substitute as it is a major synonym to the above word.

Muktaphala

Made up of two words, ‘Mukta’ and ‘Phala’ meaning freedom and fruit respectively, this name was given due to the astrological significance of Pearls in calming down the mind and letting the soul have peace. You can easily buy pearl moti stone and feel the difference. The Moti Ratna Price varies from place to place. 

Well, apart from the above words, there are other words too, defining pearls in various types, such as Bhauktika, Moti stone, Mukhareed (Urdu), Lulu (Arabic), and Margarita (Latin). Pearls don’t only make us look good but also make us feel good, from the inside. 

The History Of Pearls

About Pearls: 

The best-loved gems of all time, pearls are the natural and cultured gemstones occur in a wide variety of colors. The most familiar white and cream, but the palette of colors extends to every hue.  Pearl stone is the birthstone for June. 

Pearls are organic gemstones that are formed by shelled molluscs; mainly bivalves oysters and mussels.

The Beginning History Of Pearls:

The pearl gemstone has long been treasured and highly valued in many cultures throughout history. In India ancient Hindu texts repeatedly refer to pearls, staying in one place that the god Krishna discovered the first pearl. In ancient Egypt, mother of pearl was used for decorative purposes.

Pearls In Roman History:

In ancient Rome, pearls were a highly  prized accessory, and worn as a symbol of wealth and prestige. They were such a status symbol, that an effort was actually made to prohibit the wearing pearl gemstone by those not deserving of them.

Pearls in Greek history:

The ancient Greeks also highly valued pearls, using them, especially at weddings, where they were said to bring love. With many natural oyster beds lying along the Persian gulf, the Arab culture also placed a high value on pearls, which are described in the Koran as one of the greatest treasures provided in paradise.

Pearls In Modern History:

In the  western Hemisphere,Native Americans  also valued the fresh water they had discovered and harvested from lakes and rivers. The story is  told of a native American princess, who presented herbnado  de  Soto with gifts of animal , skin , cloth, copper and freshwater pearls

History Of Pearls In North America:

In addition to the pearls themselves, American mother of pearl has also become a major export, both from the north American colonies and later from the united states. A primary use of mother-of-pearl was to make shiny, indecent clothing buttons, of which billions were exported all over the world (mainly from lova)

The Effect Of Pearl culturing On Modern Pearls:

The effect on the pearl industry of the discovery of pearl culturing, combined with Mikimotos marketing enthusiasm, cannot be understood. During a span of less than 50 years at the beginning  of the 20 century, thousands of years of world histore ere rewritten.

The oldest reference to pearls (freshwater pearls) comes from ancient China 2,350 B.C:

The most ancient reference to pearls comes from ancient China. In one of the oldest of books published in China, known as Sho King (Chuang Tzu) dating from 2,350 B.C. (4,350 B.P.) mention is made of a pearl from the River Huai, the natural boundary between north China and south China, being given as a tribute to Emperor Yu in 2206 B.C. (4,206 B.P.), and a string of near-spherical pearls from the province of King Kau also given as tribute.