A ceremonial or sacred use of mother-of-pearl disks also seems likely because the pearl shell plays an important role in the myths of the gods surrounding the Tahitian chief god 'Oro.
According to this myth, the mighty god of war, who transformed himself into a god of fertility and the arts in times of peace, descended from the heavens on a rainbow to give his beloved Vairaumati black Tahitian pearls and her home island of Bora-Bora the pearl shell te ufi, which shimmers in all colors.
This myth of the gods, popular far beyond Tahiti 250 years ago, certainly helped popularize mother-of-pearl necklaces in other parts of Polynesia as a reference to the warlike and loving god 'Oro. However, definitive proof that the Herrnhut necklace actually came from Tahiti or the Society Islands has yet to be found.