Information on June Birthstone

Pearls have been around for some time and are the traditional birthstone of June, although there is another stone that is sometimes associated with the month. Pearls have come a long way since they were first discovered. They can be produced a couple of ways and come in various colors.

The traditional birthstone of June is the pearl. It is the birthstone that represents the astrological sign Gemini, which are those born between May 21 and June 21. Pearls are associated with loyalty, faithfulness and friendship. Myths and folklore have been passed down about pearls having mysterious magical properties. They are said to have healing properties that relate to the heart, spleen and ulcers.

Real pearls are those that have been made by an oyster or other mollusk. Cultured pearls are pearls that are formed by mollusks; however, these have intervention from man. They insert an irritant in the mollusk that causes the pearl to grow. Kokichi Mikimotu reshaped how pearls were formed when he began experimenting with mollusk shells in the late 1880s. It usually takes about five to eight years for a nice size pearl to form, which may be the entire life span of the mollusk. Pearls are not considered a precious stone because they originate in a living organism.

June also has another lesser known birthstone. It is called Alexandrite. It is usually seen in older jewelry. The color of the stone changes from red to green. It was discovered in Russia and named after Czar Alexander II. However, pearls are the more popular and used birthstone for the month of June.