JUNE'S TWO RARE BIRTHSTONES
June is a unique month with a variety of dualities surrounding it. One being the horoscope, Gemini, which is represented by twins. The other being the fact that June doesn’t have just one birthstone, it has two! This is quite unique, as most months are only associated with one. We love this because we know that all of our customers have different preferences! This is why we offer a jewelry collection that contains both. The question is, which one is right based on your unique jewelry needs?
Pearl
Pearls are popular year round but are most especially sought after during the month of June. Pearls are very unique, as they are the only precious gemstone that is created naturally by living creatures. In fact, they are produced over time as a mollusk deposits calcium carbonate around microscopic irritants that have lodged in their shell. The truth is, all shelled mollusks can technically produce pearls, however, only two groups of them create the pearls known as, “mother-of-pearl” that require no polishing to reveal their natural beauty.
Currently, natural pearls typically come from the Persian Gulf or the Indian Ocean. Also, freshwater cultured pearls are most commonly from China, Australia, the Philippines and Indonesia. Pearls are known to be fancied by royalty too! Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth’s favorite jewelry is a set of pearl earrings she received in 1947 from her late grandmother, Queen Mary. The English aren’t the only royal family that indulges in pearls! In fact, Queen Margrethe of Denmark has on many occasions been seen adorning a pearl necklace from their royal jewels that date back to the 1600’s.
Alexandrite
These gorgeous, rare stones were first discovered in the early 1800’s in Russian emerald mines. This gemstone is considered extraordinary due to changing from bluish green in daylight to purplish red under incandescent lighting. Its chameleon-like characteristics are attributed to the uncommon chemical composition. It is the unlikelihood of these elements combining under perfect conditions that make these stones one of the rarest gems on Earth. While Russia is famed for the discovery of the first alexandrite, they are also found in Sri Lanka, Brazil, and East Africa.
The Smithsonian, in Washington D.C., is the home of the largest known faceted 66 carat alexandrite in the world. In fact, they have it on display in their museum for visitors to see. Even though the most sought after alexandrite is from Russia, the largest uncut, gem-quality specimen was found in Bahia, Brazil in 1967. This particular stone is known as the Sauer Alexandrite and weighs a massive 122,5400 carats. That’s just over 540 pounds of one of the rarest gemstone known to man!
When it comes to birthdays, gifting an extraordinary jewelry piece with their own birthstone can be a great way to show your love and appreciation. At Jeweler’s Touch, we are dedicated to carrying the pieces we know our customers are interested in. This is why we couldn't just choose one birthstone to represent the month of June, so we carry both. If you are interested in learning more about the pearl and alexandrite pieces that we offer, please feel free to visit our store or contact us.