Emerald. A deep green stone, natural emeralds almost always have visible inclusions, and need special care when setting & cleaning. A natural Emerald without flaws is very rare, and expensive! The hardness is 7.5-8. This stone is fragile, and care should be taken in cleaning & wearing- no sharp knocks on table edges or doorways! This stone has been linked to fertility & the Earth Goddess, is sacred to the Goddess Venus, and was worn by women to ease the pain of childbirth. Emerald is a cousin to the Aqua, both are in the Beryl family of stones. Emeralds are found in Brazil, Colombia Brazil, Africa, Russia, Pakistan, and Zambia.

JUNE/ALEXSANDRITE OR PEARL

Pearl & Alexandrite are both commonly used for this month. Pearls are formed inside a mollusk, a response to an irritant felt by the animal. They can be found in many shades of whites, and many shapes- from perfectly round to fanciful baroque. Alexandrite is one of the few color-change stones. It will appear to be different colors in natural and flourescent lighting. It is rare in it's natural form, but can be found in a synthetic form, with the same color-change properties. The hardness is 8.5. Pearls are attributed to the Goddess Venus as a symbol of innocence. Pearls are readily found in both sea & fresh-water varieties. Alexandrite is found in Russia, Tanzania, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe, and Brazil.

JULY/RUBY

A Ruby is found in varying shades of red; deep, clear stones are desirable. Some may have seen "star rubies", these are cabachon (domed) stones that reflect an asterisk light effect on the domed surface. When flawless, a Ruby is more valuable than a diamond. The hardness is 9. Historically, the Ruby is associated with royalty & the power or life and death. It was attributed the power to prevent loss of blood, strengthen the heart, and negate poisons. They are a cousin to the Sapphire. Rubies are found in Burma, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Afghanistan, India and Kenya. You can visit following links to see the products with Pearl and Ruby.