For its luminescent beauty and timeless elegance, the pearl has been prized for centuries, from ancient civilizations and royalty to society girls and Hollywood celebrities. Not only a symbol of wealth, status and power, this rare gem is a moon-like talisman associated with healing, protection and purity. Weaving myth and history, art and literature, the sacred and the secular, this book unfolds the fascinating 4,000-year-old story of the pearl, including tales of pearl-divers in the Pacific, the jewellery of ancient Rome and legendary pearls such as the 500-year-old La Peregrina and the 14-pound Pearl of Allah. Here you will learn of the various types of pearls, both cultured and costume styles, how to wear and care for them, as well as pearls in popular culture and in fashions through the ages.

The Pearl and the Hut, Volume II explores understandings and higher perceptions around the psychological developments and heart challenges of adult child of divorce. The soul-spiritual insights in Rudolf Steiner's human consciousness philosophy, Anthroposophy, renew a person's humanness in the face of massive and necessary world changes. From the soul-psyche orientations of the twenty-one-year-old and the Sentient Soul period of life, to the fifty-six-year-old living into the Spirit Self nature, adult children of divorce see ways to navigate complex development stages without bypassing important relationships, feelings, thoughts and deeds. Biographies, verses, stories and a selection of life-enhancing practices encourge a person's heart-warm inner nature and will-strength to manage on-going conflicts, overcome neglect, and create the humane soul family that "Pearls" need. A simple Platonic Solids thinking practice highlights a powerful self-awareness device for "Pearls" to keep their life-forces whole, pull themselves inwardly together in times of emotional and mental overwhelm, and stay grounded during shifting and confusing events. Striving past survival personality, they can cultivate the truly human rights of loving self-acceptance and compassionate togetherness with others.

The preparation of this book has been a joint labor during the spare moments of the two authors, whose time has been occupied with subjects to which pearls are not wholly foreign—one as a gem expert, and the other in the fisheries branch of the American government. For many years the writers have collected data on the subject of pearls, and have accumulated all the obtainable literature, not only the easily procurable books, but likewise manuscripts, copies of rare volumes, original edicts, and legislative enactments, thousands of newspaper clippings, and interesting illustrations, many of them unique, making probably the largest single collection of data in existence on this particular subject. It was deemed advisable to present the results of these studies and observations in one harmonious volume, rather than in two different publications. While the book is a joint work in the sense that each writer has contributed material to all of the chapters and has critically examined and approved the entire work, the senior author has more closely applied himself to the latter half of the text, covering antiquity values, commerce, wearing manipulation, treatment, famous collections, aboriginal use, and the illustrations, while the junior author has attended to the earlier half of the book, with reference to history, origin, sources, fisheries, culture, mystical properties, and the literature of the pearl.

The Pearl and the Hut, Volume I, is a comprehensive therapeutic resource for adult children of divorce and for caregivers helping young children who are experiencing parental divorce. Yiana Belkalopolos addresses the trauma many children experience in parent divorce through the lens of the practical and soul-spiritual philosophy of Rudolf Steiner, the Austrian scientist and philosopher behind Waldorf education and the international Anthroposophical movement. Belkalopolos’ work gives psychosocial and soul spiritual support, as well as loving, practical encouragement for children and adult children of divorce through: • Individual-honoring biographies that speak to the support that other growing children of divorce and adult children of divorce have experienced from Rudolf Steiner’s work. • Providing safe, soul-spiritual developmental approaches and demonstrating practices that are supported around the world, helping children of divorce feel more calm, whole, steady, supported, and rightful within themselves. • Revealing to adult children of divorce that there are true and rational explanations for what they are feeling which make them capable of a wholesome life. • Empowering “Pearl” people to take care of their own holistic wellbeing more thoroughly and to know where to reach out for help.

Invites a new generation of readers to apply ethical reasoning to social justice challenges, accessible to people of faith from a broad range of backgrounds Social Justice in the Stories of Jesus introduces readers to the parables of the New Testament while exploring how they relate to social justice, ethics, and key issues of modern society. Centering on themes of mercy, justice, and human dignity, this unique volume invites readers to reflect on the meaning of Jesus's parables both in their original setting and in the context of present-day moral and ethical challenges. The author discusses social justice concepts from various traditions to enable readers to engage with the ethical implications of the parables in a range of different contexts. Each chapter focuses on one parable or set of parables, such as the parable of the Good Samaritan and the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector, and includes historical background information and an analysis and interpretation of the parable. Throughout the text, the author highlights the connections between Jesus's parables and racism, violence, poverty, the environment, our obligations to one another, and other timely social justice issues. Blends an accessible overview of the parables of Jesus with an introduction to social justice and ethics Explores New Testament parables as viewed through the lens of contemporary writers, ethicists, and activists Emphasizes the Jewish roots of the parables and the need to guard against anti-Jewish readings of the parables Highlights the ways that Jesus’s parables challenged his first-century listeners to see their world in new ways and recognize the dignity of every person Engages with seminal thinkers in contemporary social justice, such as James Cone, Howard Thurman, Emilie Townes, Bishop Michael Curry, and Pope Francis Includes study and discussion questions for personal and group use Requiring no prior knowledge of the subject, Social Justice in the Stories of Jesus: The Ethical Challenge of the Parables is an ideal textbook for introductory courses on the Bible and New Testament, faith-based courses on ethics, and general Christian readers looking for an excellent resource for personal or congregational study.

Enter the world of John Steinbeck's masterful storytelling with "The Pearl." This powerful novella takes you on a journey through the human condition, greed, and the pursuit of dreams. Join us as we explore the profound themes and emotions woven into the fabric of this timeless classic.

Contrary to a generally held view that pearls are found by chance in oysters, almost all are now produced from farms. This book is a comprehensive treatment of all aspects of the biology of pearl oysters, their anatomy, reproduction, genetics, diseases, etc. It considers how they are farmed from spawning and culturing larvae in hatcheries to adults in the ocean; how various environmental factors, including pollution affect them; and how modern techniques are successfully producing large numbers of cultured pearls. This is the ultimate reference source on pearl oysters and the culture of pearls, written and edited by a number of scientists who are world experts in their fields. - Comprehensive treatment of pearl oyster biology and pearl culture - Written by the top world authorities - Highly illustrated and figured - Of practical relevance to a broad readership, from professional biologists to those involved in the practicalities and practice of pearl production

In the Church of Saint-Sulpice, Paris, there is a holy water font. It was made of a shell of the giant clam, Tridacna gigas. I often wondered where it came from because these clams are only found far away from Europe. I found it intriguing that the shell already arrived in France in the early sixteenth century as a gift from the Venetian Republic to King Francis I. Where did it come from? What story could such a shell tell? What thoughts did the sculptor, Jean-Baptiste Pigalle have when he carved the beautiful column upon which the shell rests? What is its religious significance? Only a few pearls from giant clams are believed to exist, and their origins are shrouded in mystery. Is there a pearl somewhere belonging to this clam? It will have to be the Pearl of Saint-Sulpice, alias the Pearl of Allah. The pearl took me on an unexpected adventure to the French Revolution and before, to a1964 scientific meeting where the descendants of the secret league of the Scarlet Pimpernel unites and onwards to the Turkish invasion of Cyprus in1974 where I faced the prowess and strength of the guardians of Aphrodite in the Troodos Mountains. Join me if you dare.