Pearls have long been a valuable trade commodity. The discovery of pearls in Central and South America in the 15th-16th centuries marked the Pearl Age. Pearls are symbolically important in many world religions representing purity and perfection. Historically, the Persian Gulf, particularly Bahrain, was the largest source of pearls due to conditions producing lustrous pearls, though many other regions like Japan, Australia, and parts of the U.S. also produce pearls commercially today with China being a major global source.