Many in the Shiite-majority country attribute high religious significance to gemstones, which they view as a way to ensure divine protection, ward off evil, and prevent poverty
An Iranian man shows his stone rings at the old bazaar in the city of Shahr-e Ray (Rey), south of Tehran, Iran. Image: Photography ATTA KENARE / AFP
At a prominent Shiite shrine in southern Tehran, Qasem Ashgari was buying yet another gemstone ring in the hope it would help his prayers to be answered promptly. Asghari, in his 30s, who was already wearing several bands on each hand, had a specific ring in mind: a silver one, adorned with yellow agate and engraved with religious scripts.
"The reward of one prayer is multiplied... if done with an agate ring," he told AFP while strolling through the meandering alleys of the market near the shrine of Shah Abdolazim.
Asghari's appreciation for gemstones is shared by many Shiite Muslims in Iran, where prominent male scholars and senior officials are often seen publicly sporting similar rings.
Many in the Shiite-majority country attribute high religious significance to gemstones, which they view as a way to ensure divine protection, ward off evil, and prevent poverty.
Common beliefs associated with gemstones are largely what motivates people to buy them, said Hassan Samimi, a lapidary at the market.