Pearls Come With A Price

Pearls are unlike other precious materials: Metals and gems are formed in the Earth; pearls come from a living creature. Also, pearls do not need to be cut or polished — they’re beautiful just the way they are. The actual science of how they are formed is profound: Pearls begin as a minor irritant inside the heart of the oyster, which in response to the irritant, secretes layer upon layer until the source of the irritation is encased in lustrous coatings. What a perfect Christian metaphor for the redemptive value of suffering — that trials leave one with beautiful treasure.