June Birthstone - Pearl, Alexandrite and Moonstone
June has three birthstones, one of only two months of the year to have three. They are Pearl, Alexandrite and Moonstone.
Alexandrite is a fantastic gemstone, one which can change colour in different lights. In daylight it can appear a green / blue colour, whilst in darker lights, it’s a wonderful pink or purple.
Alexandrite was discovered in the Ural mountains in Russia on the site of an emerald producing mine. It is named after the Prince Alexander of Russia, as it was discovered on his birthday in 1839. It is extremely rare and as such natural alexandrite is extremely expensive.
The majority of pieces found today will be lab created or synthetic. Lab created alexandrite was first seen in the marketplace in 1973, but simulated stones were manufactured as early as 1909. The simulated stones are synthetic corundum (of which sapphires and rubies are from) mixed with vanadium in order to give the colour change that is needed for alexandrite.
One of the key identifiers between natural and simulated alexandrite stones is that simulated stones can be blue / mauve / pink in colour change, but not the green colour exhibited by the natural gems.
These lovely earrings are a lovely old example of simulated alexandrite, surrounded by white sapphires in 18ct gold.
Pearls have been worn by women throughout the ages and date back for thousands of years, with even Julius Caesar passing a law to limit the wearing of pearls to the upper classes only.
Natural pearls are created by oysters in seas, lakes and rivers around the world. A pearl start to grow when an irritant such as a piece of sand or shell becomes stuck in an oyster's soft inner body, causing it to create ‘nacre’. Nacre is is an organic–inorganic material also called mother of pearl and is strong and iridescent.
Cultured pearls are created in the same way, except the initial process is engineered, with the irritant being placed inside the shell in order to start the pearl creation process.
Pearls come in all different colours and sizes, and are found all over the world. Black pearls come from Tahiti and the French Polynesian Islands, whereas freshwater pearls predominantly come from China and Akoya pearls from Japan.
Moonstones are believed to bring good luck and have been used in jewelry and ornaments for over 2,000 years. The stone was particularly popular in ancient Rome, where it was believed to be associated with the goddess Diana. Moonstones are found in many parts of the world, including India and Madagascar.