Pearl

## The Pearl Hunt

The Litany of the Jewels describes the Pearl as:

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> From far Cathay, the dragon's Pearl:
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> Chaste, perfect as the silver moon.
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## Birth Month and Flower

The pearl is the birthstone most commonly associated with June, although alexandrite and moonstone are also considered birthstones for this month.

Pearls have long been thought to symbolize modesty and purity. Many cultures have long associated pearls with the Moon[*citation needed*]. In ancient China, some believed that pearls guaranteed protection from fire and fire-breathing dragons.

The rose is the birth flower for June, though Honeysuckle is also listed, with both flowers reaching their peak during the sixth month.

Most rose species are native to Asia. The rose has long been a symbol of love, beauty, and affection. Each color rose holds a different meaning, for example, a red rose means ‘I love you’ and is a sign of romance.

## Nation

The immigration group associated with the Pearl is Cathay.

Cathay is a historical name for China that was used in Europe, mostly in a poetic sense, until the 19th century when it was completely replaced by "China".

## Fair Folk

The map in The Passage to the New World lists the Fair Folk coming from Cathay as a footnote (the map itself does not show Cathay). The Fair Folk named are: Prince Yi, Hsi Wang Mu Shin-seen and the Dragon.

On page 17-18 of that same section, it describes the Fair Folk:

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> On the first spring day, appeared, shining in the air, slender, golden people. Their garments were of richest silk, filigree with serpents and flowering vines of silver. A tall, laughing archer was among them-Prince Yi, the Wanderer, bearing the great bow with which he had shot dead nine blazing suns-at his side, his Golden Mother, Hsi Wang Mu, beautiful as the moon, who bore in her hands the peaches of immortality-and Tsao-shen, also, the home-loving imp, his laughing mouth smeared with honey-together with the multitude of Shiin-seen, shy, delicate maidens and bright-eyed, bearded sages.
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> From impossibly distant Cathay they had travelled, bringing with them to safety, to the wonder and joy of every Fairy, what all had thought never to see again-a fire-breathing and terrible, winged and wonderful Dragon.
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## Painting

Using the Pearl section from The Litany of the Jewels and the knowledge that the Pearl is a June birthstone, we can make the determination that the the first painting in the book, found on Page 35, is the painting to be used for the Pearl treasure hunt.

The painting contains a Rose, the June birth flower, sitting on a table. That table also holds a clock with the time set to 6 o'clock: June is the 6th month. Floating above the woman's chest is a gem that resembles a common Pearl.

The Litany section also confirms that the Fair Folk nation associated with this painting is Cathay. The Dragon is depicted on the woman's dress. It is suspected that the woman is Hsi Wang Mu[*opinion*].

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 https://www.almanac.com/content/june-birthstone-color-and-meaning
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 https://www.almanac.com/june-birth-flowers
3. ↑ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathay
4. ↑ *The Secret* (1982), pp. 10
5. ↑ *The Secret* (1982), pp. 17 - 18