Hear now the ancient wisdom concerning the diamond and the pearl, as revealed in the sacred Garuḍa Purāṇa. It is said that one who, with devotion, always wears a diamond—sharp-tipped, flawless, pure, and free from all blemish—enjoys protection from dangers of every kind. Such a person is shielded from serpents, fire, poison, wild beasts like tigers, thieves, the perils of water, and all manner of threats. The diamond, if free from defect and weighing twenty grains of rice, confers these blessings. Should the diamond’s weight be less—by a third, a half, a quarter, thirteen grains, thirty, or even half-portions—the efficacy is diminished accordingly. Tradition prescribes that the original price of a diamond is to be reckoned by the weight of twelve grains of rice. Yet, true worth and the right way to wear a diamond are not determined by weight alone. A diamond possessing all virtues is esteemed above even the purity of water. However, even the slightest flaw—visible or hidden—renders it imperfect. Whether the imperfection is large or small, one or many, apparent or subtle, it is counted as a defect. If a diamond’s setting displays a clear flaw, it too is considered marred. Sometimes, a diamond that was once perfect may acquire a fault when it is set into an ornament. It is also advised that a woman who wishes to bear a virtuous son should not wear a diamond, regardless of its excellence. Cunning artisans create imitations of diamonds using iron, red spinel, and hessonite. To discern the true from the false, experts test diamonds against crystal, corundum, and whetstones. A genuine diamond will scratch all these, but none can scratch it. In contrast, a false diamond will be scratched by these materials. Only a true diamond can scratch another diamond—nothing else can mar its surface. When a diamond is set, its luster does not rise upward; when scratched sideways, it is struck on the sides. Even if the tip is broken, or it bears a spot, a line, or discoloration, a diamond that shines like a flash of lightning is pleasing, especially when worn by a king. Thus concludes the sacred teaching on the examination of diamonds and other gems. Now, regarding pearls: they are said to arise from wondrous sources—elephants, clouds, boars, conch shells, fish, serpents, oysters, and bamboo. Yet, the true root of each gem is always established in only one of these places. Pearls are produced from the skin, the salt, the serpent, the whale, as well as from conch and boar—making eight types in all, as known by those skilled in the lore of gems. A pearl born of a conch shell takes on the color of its origin, is large, and pleasingly round. Among these, the pearls called 'kambavaḥ' are from the lineage of the finest conch, marked by the touch of a bowstring at its mouth. Such pearls are round, pale, and lack luster. Pearls also arise in the mouths of aquatic creatures, fish that dwell in the depths of the ocean. Occasionally, on earth, a rare pearl is found, remarkable in its likeness to a boar. Pearls from bamboo grow in places graced by divine beings, never in common locations. These shine with a radiance like perfectly washed silver and a brilliance as keen as the edge of a sword. There are also pearls, radiant and lustrous, produced from the heads of virtuous serpents. When a great protective ritual is performed atop a mansion, the sky becomes adorned with treasures that hang down, weighed by the clouds. If the serpent’s head-born pearl remains within its hood, it is vulnerable to harm from others. Its radiance spreads in all directions, like the sun itself, and its disk appears as if manifest in the very sky. By day it shines with dazzling brightness, and by night it dispels even the deepest darkness. Such a serpent pearl is beyond price; even if the earth were filled with gold, its true value could not be reckoned. Thus, the ancient texts sing of the glory and mystery of diamonds and pearls, their origins, their virtues, and the care with which they must be chosen and cherished.