June's Birthstone: Pearl Birthstone Properties: Truth and beauty Alternative Birthstones: Moonstone and Alexandrite
Pearl is the official birthstone of the month of June. It is also the accepted anniversary gemstone for the 3rd and 30th years of marriage. Pearls have adorned crowns, clothing, and temples, and were said to be a favorite of Cleopatra, yet there are perfectly suited to young girls and are a popular gift for first communion.
Pearls come in a wide range of colors from delicate rose white to black. The higher the luster or "orient," the more valuable the specimen. Greeks believed that pearls were the hardened tears of joy that the Love Goddess shook from her eyes as she was born from the sea. In Arab legend, pearls were formed when oysters were lured from the depths of the ocean by the beautiful moon and then swallowed moonlit dewdrops. Ancient Chinese thought that these gems originated from the brains of dragons.
Whatever their origins, pearls are magnificent!
Round Pearl...and Her Shapely Sisters It's hard to believe that the coveted pearl comes naturally from one of the humblest of life forms -- the mollusk. Divers find natural pearls in The Persian Gulf as well as in the waters off Japan, the South Pacific Islands off northern Australia, and the coasts of Panama, Venezuela, and California.
Besides the popular round shape most people associate with pearls, there are also large hemispherical cultured pearls (called mabe), fresh water pearls (elongated in interesting shapes and colors) and South Sea cultured pearls (from Australia and Indonesian waters) that grow to 10 mm and up!
Gems of unsurpassed beauty and elegance, pearls have been a passion and even an obsession of people throughout the ages. They have been ground up and used in cosmetics and as a medicine to treat heart and stomach conditions. Some cultures swear by pearls as an aphrodisiac.
Only those with royal status once wore pearl jewelry, but eventually these gems were seen among all classes of people. They continue to be viewed as a mark of taste and refinement as well as a symbol of purity, and they are often given to celebrate a marriage or the birth of a child. Pearls are nature's perfect gift, suitable for all ages, and elegantly worn with everything from jeans to an evening gown.
Alternate Birthstones
Moonstone is a type of feldspar that earned its name because of its resemblance to the iridescent sheen of the moon. Varying in color from clear to blue-white or peach, it was believed to endow the wearer with great spiritual understanding. A gift of this stone is symbolic of health and longevity.
Alexandrite. A yellowish or brownish green in color, this gemstone has the unique characteristic of changing color to a red hue when exposed to a glowing light source, such as candlelight. Because of this quality, it has been characterized by poets as "an emerald by day, a ruby by night."
Pearls are among the most the most exquisite of the gemstones. Pearl jewelry is considered classically beautiful, and a demonstration of the wearer’s fine taste. Pearls have been used for many purposes, including jewelry, for thousands of years and have become an entire industry, complete with a unique vocabulary.
Pearl
A pearl is a small, round object created by certain species of mollusks. The pearls are created overtime by the mollusk depositing layers of calcium carbonate over an irritating intrusion in its shell. Pearls have a tremendous variety of sizes, shapes, and luster as well as their origination location. These factors all play a role in determining the value of the gemstone.
Freshwater Pearl
A freshwater pearl is created naturally, or most often cultivated, in freshwater mussels in lakes, streams, or ponds. The majority of freshwater pearls are produced in China, and those pearls have a distinctive rainbow luster.
Saltwater Pearl
Saltwater pearls are found in the ocean, generally in small protected coves or bays. Saltwater pearls tend to be the most expensive of the collection as they are more often naturally forming. Saltwater pearls appear in a variety of colors, including white, ivory, pink, yellow, purple, blue, and black. Perfectly round, black saltwater pearls are considered the most valuable.
Cultivated Pearl
When farmers deliberately create pearls by inserting grit into a mollusk, they have cultivated those gemstones. Cultivating pearls began in Japan in the very late 1800s, and the process is now responsible for almost all pearls used in jewelry today. Cultivation includes implanting a small piece of polished abalone into a mussel along with an irritant to stimulate production. The pearl takes roughly three years to cultivate, and when it is removed, the mussel is often used again to create another pearl.
Cultivated pearls are considered less valuable than natural pearls, but to determine the difference, an x-ray machine must be used by a jeweler. Cultivated pearls will have a perfect sphere at the center, while naturally occurring pearls will have an irregular center.
Imitation Pearl
Imitation pearls are often used in jewelry, but are not naturally created or cultivated. They are manufactured. Imitation pearls are easy to identify as they are made of difference substances such as glass, abalone, mother-of-pearl, or conch shells. The weight and smoothness of imitation pearls is very dissimilar from real pearls, and the imitation is the least expensive pearl available.
Pearl Jewelry
Overtime, jewelers have used pearls in a variety of ways. Rings, bracelets, brooches, earrings and necklaces use different styles of pearls, and the resulting creations are considered elegant. Necklaces enjoy the greatest range of styles, and this assortment has resulted in very specific names.
Collar – A collar of pearls sits directly at the throat and is generally comprised of multiple strands.
Choker- A choker sits slightly lower than the collar, at the base of a woman’s throat.
Princess – A princess drapes to or slightly below the collar bones.
Matinee of Pearls – The matinee comes slightly lower than the princess, ending on a woman’s chest.
Opera – An opera reaches past the bosom to the sternum.
Pearl Rope – The pearl rope is a length of pearls exceeding the opera.
Both Sam Serio & Rock Ren are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.
Sam Serio has sinced written about articles on various topics from Jewelry, Shopping and Jewelry. Sam Serio is a Marketer and writer. For more on jewelry and gemstones, visit to get your FREE copy of "How To Buy Jewelry And Gemstones Withou. Sam Serio's top article generates over 201000 views. to your Favourites.
Rock Ren has sinced written about articles on various topics from Pearls, Jewelry and Womens Health. Rock Ren is the owner of xaxe.com. You can find more information at . Rock Ren's top article generates over 9900 views. to your Favourites.