Pearl Folklore The Greeks regarded pearls highly for their beauty and association with love and marriage. They thought they would promote marital bliss and prevent the brides from crying. In Ancient Rome, pearls were seen as the definitive sign of wealth and social standard, and that they would promote long life and health. During the Crusades, knights would wear them into battle, believing it would protect them. During the renaissance period pearls were regarded so highly that some countries passed laws allowing only the nobility to wear them. Even before gold and diamonds, pearls were one of the earliest gems to be coveted by men, highly prized and traded more than 5000 years ago. The saying, "pearls bring tears" originates from the ancients when they thought that they were tears of angels or of the moon.