Can you believe 2020 is practically halfway over? The past couple of months have definitely been unpredictable and unchartered, and I’m so grateful to have wonderful and understanding clients who have supported me and my business throughout it all.
Without further ado, I’d love to talk about one of my favorite gems to work with- pearls! It’s 1 of 3 June birthstones, with the others being moonstone and alexandrite. A quick couple of facts about the latter before I begin chatting about pearls:
Alexandrite:
Alexandrite was originally discovered in Russia, 1834.
Alexandrite is known as “Emerald by Day / Ruby by Night” because of its color change phenomenon.
Alexandrite is relatively hard—8.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.
Moonstone:
Moonstone ranks between 6 and 6.5 on the Mohs Hardness Scale.
Moonstone is a member of the orthoclase feldspar mineral family.
Moonstones are translucent with a blue sheen that is a result of the phenomenon “Adularescence”, which is the light that appears to billow across a gemstone, giving its surface a glowing appearance.
Now onto one of my favorite materials to work with. PEARLS. If you follow me on Instagram or have visited my online shop, you’ve seen my love for pearls shine through some of the pieces I design. I use a variety of pearls, including Tahitian, Keshi, and South Sea, that come in a variety of colors. Here are some current favorites:
Here is some wonderful pearl information from my alma mater, GIA.
This enchanting June birthstone originates from oceans, lakes and rivers around the world. It is a timeless wardrobe staple, beloved by women of all ages. The origin of pearls fascinated our forebears. Ancients from the Middle East believed that pearls were teardrops fallen from heaven. The Chinese fancied that the June birthstone came from the brain of a dragon. Christopher Columbus and his contemporaries thought that mollusks formed pearls from dew drops.
Pearls are organic gems that grow inside the tissue of a living saltwater or freshwater mollusk (either an oyster or a mussel). Natural pearls form when the mollusk secretes a substance called nacre around an irritant such as a piece of sand or a parasite that has invaded its shell. Cultured pearls are a product of human intervention. Technicians implant a piece of mantle tissue alone (common for freshwater cultured pearls) or with a mother-of-pearl shell bead (all saltwater) into a host mollusk. The mollusk covers the irritant with nacre, just like a natural pearl. Cultured pearls are raised in pearl farms – saltwater or freshwater operations where the mollusks are cleaned, protected from predators and eventually harvested. Thousands of years of pearl fishing have decimated the natural pearl beds, so cultured pearls account for the vast majority of pearl sales today. These cultured pearl birthstones come in a dazzling array of sizes, colors and shapes.
Pearls have long been associated with purity, humility and innocence. So it may be said that the June birthstone meaning is "sweet simplicity." As such, pearls were traditionally given as a wedding gift.
If you’re looking for some of your very own pearl or June birthstone jewelry, send me an email. I’d love to visit with you and hear all about your jewelry needs!
