Pearl

Pearls were among the most prized gemstones of the ancient world, formed by oysters in the Persian Gulf, the Red Sea, and the Indian Ocean. The Hebrew gabish (Job 28:18) and Greek margarites (Matthew 7:6; 13:46) both designate the pearl, which ranked alongside gold and precious stones as the highest measure of value. In ancient trade, pearls commanded extraordinary prices, sometimes exceeding the value of equivalent-weight gold.

In the teaching of Jesus, the pearl appears in two memorable contexts. In Matthew 7:6, Jesus warns against casting pearls before swine — offering what is holy to those incapable of valuing it. In the Parable of the Pearl of Great Price (Matthew 13:45–46), the kingdom of heaven is compared to a merchant who discovers a pearl of supreme worth and sells everything to acquire it. In Revelation 21:21, the twelve gates of the New Jerusalem are each made of a single pearl — the ultimate image of unimaginable divine generosity. The New Testament explicitly links pearl adornment with excess and false values (1 Timothy 2:9; Revelation 17:4).