Gemstone Feature- Pearl (June’s Birthstone)

Pearls are the birthstone for June.  Although traditionally thought of as white and round, pearls are available in a variety of colors and unique shapes and sizes.  Pearls are thought to help one gain self-knowledge and esteem. Throughout history and across cultures, pearls have been associated with wealth and power.


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Color: 

Cultured pearls can be found in many colors, although the pearls are often dyed. Natural pearls are quite rare and valuable nowadays. The value of a pearl is determined in accordance with its lack of surface flaw and symmetry, as well as luster, color, and size. Luster is the primary factor to determine value used by jewelers. Large, perfectly round pearls are also rare and highly prized.


Source:  

Australia has the vast majority of opal. The US, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Ethiopia, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Turkey, Indonesia, and Brazil also hold opal deposits.


Age:  

Divers throughout the world have sought pearls from the ocean for thousands of years. Freshwater pearling in China dates back to 1000 BCE.


Family:  Shelled mollusk


Hardness:  2.5-4 on the Mohs scale

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Gemstone Properties/Healing Properties:  

Indian Ayurveda claims that pearls can be a stimulant of digestion and a healer of mental ailments. Pearl is said to help one gain self-knowledge and esteem. Health-wise, it’s said to help with emotional problems, stomach upsets, as well as spleen, intestines and ulcers complaints.


Fun Facts/Stories:  

The Chinese thought a pearl was formed in the brain of a dragon. Ancient Greeks believed pearls resulted from lightning that struck the ocean. In Europe, pearls were viewed as symbols of chastity, modesty, and purity and the majority of cultures associated it with wealth and power.


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