Hear now the account of pearls and gems, their measures, qualities, and the wondrous legends of their origin, as revealed in the Śrī Garuḍa Mahāpurāṇa. When a pearl’s weight exceeds the standard by half a māṣa, its value rises to twenty-three hundred; if it exceeds by one and a half māṣas, it is valued at one hundred, provided it possesses all the proper qualities. If the pearl’s weight falls short by sixteen units, the experts call it a ‘dārvika.’ If it is lighter by twice ten, it is known as ‘bhavaka.’ A pearl of full thirty in weight is called ‘śikya,’ and when it reaches forty, its value is reckoned as thirty. Sixty is known as ‘nikaraśīrṣa,’ with a value of fourteen; the values of eleven and nine follow in order for pearls of lesser weights. To purify and enhance pearls, one must gather all of them and place them in a food vessel, cooking them with the juice of the jambīra fruit. Then, the pearls are transferred into a clay-smeared fish vessel and cooked again, after which a vessel smeared with cat’s excrement is used. Thereafter, by rubbing the pearls with a pure, spotless cloth, they are rendered clean, endowed with abundant excellent qualities and a radiant luster. Silver, when alloyed with a hundred parts of gold, takes on the appearance of white glass. In the land of Siṃhala, skilled people practice these arts with great care. At night, pearls are immersed in warm, salty, oily water; those that do not lose their color in this treatment are to be understood as genuine. A pearl that is very lustrous and well-rounded is considered excellent. That which is of proper size, heavy, radiant, white, well-rounded, and pierced with a uniform, fine hole—such a pearl, possessing all these qualities together, is regarded as perfect. Thus concludes the sixty-ninth chapter, named ‘Examination of Pearls,’ in the section called Ācārakāṇḍa of the Pūrvakhaṇḍa, describing the standards and characteristics of pearls. Now hear further: The sun, resplendent and glorious, is the supreme source of gems among the great gods. Ever victorious in battle, his mind uplifted by pride in his strength, the sun once beheld the hips of a Siṃhalī woman. Struck with fear, he entered the depths of a great lake. From that time onward, the river associated with this event became equal to the Gaṅgā in the merit it bestows. From then on, the river’s banks, especially at night, became filled with gems. Beautiful rubies appeared along the banks, while within its waters, padmarāga gems could be found. These gems shone with the colors of bandhūka, guñjā, indragopa, and javā flowers, radiating a uniform and splendid hue. Their colors were like cinnabar, lotus, blue water lily, saffron, and the resin of lac. When these gems came into contact with the rays of the sun, they attained a far-reaching brilliance, their luster enhanced by the union with sunlight. Their color became a vivid mixture of safflower red and dark blue, resembling the intense hue of a red lotus. Some gems possessed an appearance in the eyes like the essence of the male chakora bird and the kokila. In brilliance, hardness, and weight, these gems were generally similar to those produced from crystal, though the redness found in kuruvinda stones was present, but not in the same manner as those arising from crystal. The kuruvinda gems born in the Ravana Ganga river displayed their distinctive color, both in the Mandhra region and elsewhere. Likewise, gems produced from crystal were found in the region known as Tumburu. Excess of color, heaviness, smoothness, and perfect clarity are marks of excellence. Yet, those gems marked by cracks, holes, dirt, lacking luster, roughness, or discoloration are considered defective. Any gem that, due to such defects, displays only a little of its natural brilliance is diminished in value. Though some may appear exceedingly beautiful, certain gems are merely imitations of the five types. Gems are produced in the regions of Kalasha, Purodbhava, Siṃhala, Tumburu, and Muktapani. The presence of a husk gives the name Kalasha; a coppery hue marks Tumburu. Śrīpūrṇaka is named for its lack of brilliance; the distinction among these gems lies only in the sign of their type. Thus are the standards and stories of pearls and gems, their origins, qualities, and the wisdom of their discernment, as taught in the sacred Purāṇa.