June Birthstones

I'm pretty partial to June birthstones because my birthday is in June! And I do love my birthday. :) 

Those of us born in June are pretty lucky to get three birthstone options: pearl, alexandrite, and moonstone.

Pearl is the most traditional June birthstone. It's the only birthstone made from a living creature and only non-gemstone birthstone. Pretty special! The oldest known pearl dates to 5547 to 5235 BC. Greeks believed pearls were the tears of the gods and ancient Chinese believed black pearls were a symbol of wisdom and were formed inside a dragon's head. Most pearls today are "cultured," or farmed, by implanting an irritant into pearl oysters or freshwater pearl mussels. The mollusk with then deposit layers of nacre around the irritant. Nacre, also known as mother of pearl, is the same material that lines the mollusk's inner shell for protection, and is responsible for the pearl's luster. Most of today's cultured pearls come from China, with natural pearls found in the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean. Pearls symbolize integrity, love, and - you guessed it - purity. Pearls are classic and timeless, but also today's unique shapes and color allow them to be contemporary enough to be worn everyday.

Moonstone's name comes from it's moon-like iridescent glow, known as Adularescence. It has been admired for centuries; in fact, Romans believed moonstone was formed from moonbeams and both the Romans and the Greeks associated it with lunar deities. Moonstone is thought to be calming, enhance intuition, and provide balance. Found in a wide range of locations, the best sources are India, Sri Lanka, and United States.

Alexandrite became an alternative birthstone for June in the 1950s. It is known for its striking color change effect called Pleochroism, which means that it appears to be a different color in different light. In Alexandrite's case, the most valuable stones are bluish-green in natural daylight and purpleish-red in incandescent light. Natural alexandrite is extremely rare, and, while first discovered in Russia, is now found predominately in Sri Lanka, East Africa, Brazil. Alexandrite is thought to bring luck, good fortune, and love, and brings balance between one's physical and spiritual world.

Celebrate June birthdays with pearls in Lila Clare's Joy Collection!

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