Those who were born in June are lucky to have three birthstones to choose from. All three of June’s birthstones have an almost magical aspect to them. Alexandrite changes color with the light; Pearls are one of nature’s few organic gemstones; and Moonstone has an unearthly shimmer.
PEARLS
Pearls have a timeless beauty unlike any other gemstone. They are perfect with a T-shirt and jeans or a little black dress. Today cultured pearls come in many beautiful colors, from palest cream and white to rose, lilac, green, gold, gray, and black. This new pearl diversity is thanks to new producing countries, new mollusks, and new demand from consumers who have made multicolor strands and new styles of pearl jewelry as popular as traditional strands of white pearls.
For the entire span of human history, mankind admired – even worshipped, pearls. In Persian mythology, they are called “the tears of the gods.” In some Muslim legends, the pearl is God’s first act of creation. According to ancient Chinese legend, the moon holds the power to create pearls, instilling them with its celestial glow and mystery. The ancient Greeks thought pearls were dew from the moon collected by oysters that opened their shells as they floated on the sea at night.
Pearls are an organic gem, created when a mollusk like an oyster covers a foreign object with beautiful layers of nacre, the mother of pearl. Once occurring only by chance, today most pearls are cultured by man. A shell bead or mantle tissue is placed inside an oyster and the oyster is returned to the water. When the pearl is later harvested, the oyster has covered the bead or tissue with layers of nacre.
The quality of cultured pearls is judged by the orient, which is the soft iridescence caused by the refraction of light by the layers of nacre, and luster, the reflectivity and shine of the surface. Also look for any flaws or spots in the nacre: the best pearls have an even smooth texture. Other factors that affect value are the regularity of the shape, size, and color.
Cultured pearls and natural pearls can be distinguished from imitation pearls by a very simple test. Take a pearl and rub it gently against the edge of a tooth. Cultured and natural pearls will feel slightly rough, like fine sandpaper, because of the texture of natural nacre. Imitations will feel as smooth as glass because the surface is molded or painted on a smooth bead.
Because pearls are organic, they have a relatively low hardness of 2.5 to 3.5 and should be stored away from other jewelry to prevent scratching. Always put on perfume and sprays before you put on pearls, since chemicals may be absorbed into pearls, staining them. Wipe clean with a moist soft cloth.
MOONSTONE
Moonstone mesmerized the ancient Romans who theorized that moonstone, with its unearthly shimmer, was formed from frozen moonlight.
Moonstones come in a variety of colors. The body color can range from colorless to gray, brown, yellow, green, or pink. The clarity ranges from transparent to translucent. The best moonstone has a blue sheen, perfect clarity, and a colorless body color.
Fine moonstone is quite rare and becoming rarer. It is mined in Sri Lanka and Southern India. The rainbow variety can be found in India and Madagascar. Moonstones are usually cut in a smooth-domed oval cabochon shape to maximize the effect. Sometimes they are carved to show a man-in-the-moon face.
Moonstone has a hardness of 6 to 6.5. It should not be stored in contact with your other gemstones to prevent scratching. Clean with mild dish soap: use a toothbrush to scrub behind the stone where dust can collect.
