Polynesia is brimming with captivating tales about the origin of Tahitian pearls. The most well-known legend tells that the god of fertility and peace, Oro, travelled on a rainbow to visit the earth. He brought with him a magical oyster called the Ufi and gave the black pearl that formed inside to the princess of Bora Bora as a token of his eternal love.

Another romantic legend tells that Tahitian pearls are the tears of the gods, deposited in the oysters each day at the time of the morning dew. The moon flooded the ocean with its rays to draw the oysters to the surface, imbued with a dew blessed by the gods. Pearls were born from this union, and their imperfections came from thunder, while their perfection arose from their birth at the most opportune moment.

In Japan, the ancients believed that the tears of mythical creatures, such as nymphs, mermaids, and angels, were the origin of pearls. In China, it was thought that pearls formed inside the head of a dragon and could only be harvested by killing the dragon. Another Chinese legend tells that pearls came from the saliva of dragons that fell to the Earth in the form of raindrops, granting pearls the power to protect their wearers from fire and its burns.

In Persian mythology, it was believed that pearls were created after a storm when the rainbow descended from the sky to meet the earth. Lightning and thunder were thought to cause the imperfections in the pearl. In India, it was believed that pearls came from dew drops that fell onto the sea's surface during full moon nights and were caught by oysters. Pearls were associated with the Moon and symbolised love and purity.

The most famous Egyptian myth concerns Cleopatra, who was said to have owned two drop-shaped pearls of unparalleled size and lustre. Legend has it that she dropped a pearl into a cup of vinegar and wore

In Greco-Roman mythology, the goddess of love, Aphrodite, is said to have been born from the sea foam under a rain of droplets which, crystallising, became pearls. These pearls settled on the water's surface to create a giant oyster that carried the goddess on the water, reminiscent of Botticelli's masterpiece, "The Birth of Venus". The pearls were called the tears of Aphrodite, and wealthy Roman families would gift their daughters one or more pearls each year so that they would have a complete necklace by the time they reached adulthood.

Islamic tradition places even greater importance on pearls. The Qur'an refers to pearls as a great reward that opens the gates of paradise, making pearls a symbol of perfection.