Birthstone for June


Mohs hardness 2.5-4.5
Symbol – Health and Longevity

It is also the recognized gift for the 3rd and 30th wedding anniversary.

Alternate Birthstones: Alexandrite and Moonstone

Pearls are one of the oldest types of gems, and for thousands of years, pearls had been the exclusive gemstones of royalty and nobility. Pearls became associated with wealth, status, and power, and only the wealthy could afford natural pearls. This would change at the beginning of the 20th century with the discovery of techniques to grow cultured pearls. It was Kokichi Mikimoto who revolutionized pearling by mass producing and promoting cultured pearls.

The sparkling beauty of a strand of pearls has held the attention of brides for millennia. For thousands of years pearls have been associated with wisdom, wealth, purity, romance and mystery. In China, pearls were used for over five thousand years to decorate the crowns of emperors, the robes of noblewomen, and the sacred statues of the Buddha.

In Medieval time knights believed that pearls could protect them from harm. The ancient Inca and Aztec cultures valued them for their beauty and magical powers, and Native American men and women of the Atlantic coast and Mississippi river region wore freshwater pearl pendants and earrings.

The Ancient Hebrews believed that pearls had been used by God to decorate the Garden of Eden, while Roman ladies believed that pearls were lucky and attracted wealth. The Greeks prized them for their beauty and association with love and marriage, and believed that wearing pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlywed women from crying. In Rome, France, and England only the aristocracy were allowed to wear pearls.

A natural pearl starts out as a grain of sand or microscopic worm that works its way into an oyster and cannot be expelled. To protect its soft body from this irritant, the oyster secretes a smooth, hard crystalline substance called nacre. Layer upon layer of nacre coats the foreign object and hardens, ultimately forming a pearl. In general, the thicker the nacre, the richer the "glow" of the pearl - which can greatly enhance its value. Nearly all pearls sold today are cultured pearls in which man adds an irritant into the oyster. Uniform color in both cultured and freshwater pearls is achieved often today through bleaching. Tumbling is also used to enhance roundness and luster.

Some of the most popular types of cultured pearls:

Akoya pearls are the classic round pearls found in most quality pearl jewelry. They are mainly grown in the waters off Japan. They come in a range of hues, including white, cream, pink and peach. They ranging from 1 millimeters to as large as 12 millimeters.

White South Sea pearls are grown in Australia, Indonesia, the Philippines and other areas of the South Pacific and are prized for their large size. These pearls and are usually light shades of white, gold, pink, and blue. South Sea Pearls are the most expensive type of pearl. They ranging from 8 millimeters to as large as 22 millimeters, with their average size being 15 millimeters.

Tahitian pearls, grown in French Polynesia, can be very large and come in a range of natural colors from gray to black to green to purple. Because of their large size and unique dark colors, they command very high prices. They range from 8 to 18 millimeters in size, with the average being 13 millimeters

Mabe pearls, grown in Japan, Indonesia, French Polynesia and Australia, are usually flat-backed because they form against the inside shell of the oyster rather than within the oyster's body. They are often used in earrings and rings. They ranging from 8 millimeters to as large as 20 millimeters.

Freshwater pearls are grown in bays, lakes and rivers primarily in Japan, China and the United States. They are often irregularly shaped, of various colors, and are less lustrous than saltwater cultured pearls hence, they are substantially cheaper.

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