Prov 25:12

“A golden earring and a shining pearl, etc. Rightly, the humble listener is compared to a golden earring, because while he willingly lends his ear to the reproving and teaching, he already prepares himself to receive the clarity of heavenly wisdom, he already approaches the vision of the divine light. Rightly, the learned master is compared to a shining pearl, because while he shows the reform of morals, while he reveals the knowledge of the divine to the desiring and piously seeking souls, he adds a greater and more pleasing splendor of the burning gem to the golden ornament.”

“The fourth column of the house of wisdom is persuadability in the affections. There is no one who is persuadable to good unless he is benign: and this also accords with wisdom. It is written: "The spirit of wisdom is benign, and will not free the evil-speaker from his lips." Good persuadability causes one to esteem and love good things and to consent to them: and the wiser a person is, the more persuadable he is to good things. "A golden earring and a shining pearl is he who rebukes the wise and the obedient ear." Just as an earring adorns the ear, and a pearl in a crown adorns the face, so a good word adorns the wise person. When a wise person is rebuked, he conducts himself as if he were being adorned. For if I correct myself at the word of good admonition, what else do I do than adorn myself with that word? If, however, this pearl is set before a fool, he tramples it like a dog.”