Trio of Treasures! 15 Facts about June's 3 Birthstones: Alexandrite, Pearl, and Moonstone

Welcome to Rock Talk with Angel!

June babies, listen up: you may be the luckiest of all birthstone babies (though April babies in particular, may disagree.) June is associated with 3 birthstones, and they're all prized highly for their beauty and energetic qualities. These birthstones include the mystical moonstone, the feminine pearl, and the ultra-rare and mercurial alexandrite. 

Depending on who you ask, one birthstone may be considered to be a more classic choice than the others. In my opinion, your modern June birthstone options are so varied and unique, why limit yourself to just one? So here are 15 facts (5 each) about the three feminine and mysterious gems of June:

Pearl Facts

1. Pearl is an organic gem, created naturally when certain species of mollusks protect themselves from an irritant by secreting a layer of nacre (aragonite crystals with an organic binding protein called conchiolin).

2. Completely natural pearls are as rare as they have ever been! The process of pearl culturing (inserting the irritant, shepherding the pearl growth process, and harvesting it) is controlled by man, and is the modern industry standard for pearls.

3. Saltwater cultured pearls (such as those associated with Mikimoto) take longer to deposit nacre layers, resulting in thicker pearls with better orient (the reflective quality of light on the surface of a smooth and thickly layered pearl.) Freshwater cultured pearls grow more quickly, resulting in much cheaper and more varied pearls on the market.

4. A famous story about pearls originates from the time of Cleopatra, when a single natural pearl could finance an entire army. It is said that Queen Cleopatra demonstrated her vast wealth to guests by dissolving a pearl in a glass of wine, and drinking it. It's not out of the realm of possibility that this story is true--especially because the main component of pearls, aragonite, is a form of calcium carbonate...also found in Tums!

5. Ethics Note: Culturing and harvesting pearls results in the eventual death of the host mollusk. While the other parts of the mollusk (often oysters) are used in food and industrial industries in addition to yielding the pearls, it's important to know that the resulting gem material occurs at the cost of the mollusk's life. This fact makes pearls a controversial choice for some collectors.

 

Moonstone Facts

1. Moonstone is an inorganic gem, a mineral that is widely valued for its beautiful adularescence, and sometimes worn for its purported healing properties.

2.Moonstone is the orthoclase-oligoclase feldspar variety, a mineral family which also includes labradorite, amazonite, and sunstone. Feldspars are the most abundant mineral in the earth's crust.

3. Moonstones may occur in many colors with varying levels of color flash; these include the precious Adularia variety (rainbow moonstone), cream, peach, white, grey, and even black.

4. Rainbow Moonstone is the most highly prized moonstone by far due to its "adularescence" (a cloud-like blllowing flow of light across the stone). Adularescence is most often blue. Many of the flashier rainbow-shaded moonstones are actually white labradorite, and come from India.

5. It is said that the moonstone was the chosen gem of the High Priestesses of Avalon, and moonstone is associated with feminine energy, inuition, and protection during journeys.

 

Alexandrite Facts

1. Alexandrite, of the 3 birthstones for the Gemini folks of June, is by far the most rare and highly valued. In fact, natural alexandrite is one of the rarest and highly sought after gems in the world!

2. Alexandrite is known for its unique color-changing property! This rare form of chrysoberyl is typically a rich blue-green hue, but when a natural and high quality gem or crystal is put under incandescent light (most often, candlelight), the gem transmits a bright red hue instead! This occurs due to the different wavelengths of light causing the gem to absorb and transmit different combinations of colors.

3. Alexandrite was once associated with the royalty of Russia, as the red and green hues were both important colors to the Russian ruling class.

4. Natural alexandrite is one of the few gems that cannot be accurately approximated by synthesis. While synthetic alexandrite does exist, the color-change property is often a sad approximation of the natural gem's vibrant change, or is not present at all.

5. While Alexandrite is extremely rare, good quality crystals (including the characteristic "sixling twin" habit) can still be found in Brazil and Zimbabwe in particular, and can be made into beautiful jewelry pieces.

Meet me back here next month for a fascinating look at the gems of July!

What was the most surprising fact you learned about the trio of treasures? Which of the three gems is your favorite? Comment below!

Follow Rock Talk with Angel for more interesting tidbits on the history and modern lore of the gems we love! Shop online with Phenomenal Gems for your own little piece of the mineral world, and keep an eye out for special events, promotions, and in-person booths to meet us in person. Rock on, my friends!