If you were born in the month of June, you are lucky enough to have three birthstones to call your own. 

1. PEARL 

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.

The qualities that determine a natural or cultured pearl’s value are size, shape, color, luster, surface quality, nacre quality, and—for jewelry with two or more pearls—matching. Today, cultured pearls can be found in a wide variety of shapes, colors and sizes (here, measuring between 9 mm and 23 mm). Pearls are 2.5 to 3.0 on the Mohs Scale of hardness, so they are a comparatively soft gem and require special care. Pearl is not only the birthstone for June but also the gem of the third and thirtieth anniversaries.

There are four major types of cultured whole pearls:

Akoya Cultured Pearls

Akoya cultured pearls are the most familiar type of saltwater cultured pearl to most people in the U.S and other western markets. Many customers think of white or cream colored akoyas as the classic pearl used for jewelry, especially single-strand necklaces. Japan and China both produce akoya cultured pearls.

South Sea Cultured Pearls

Australia, Indonesia, and the Philippines are leading sources of these saltwater cultured pearls. South Sea cultured pearls can be white to silver or golden, depending on the type of oyster. Their large size and thick nacre, due to a long growth period, plus their limited critical growing conditions are all factors contributing to their value.

Tahitian Cultured Pearls

Cultivated primarily around the islands of French Polynesia (the most familiar of these is Tahiti). These saltwater cultured pearls, sometimes referred to as black pearls, have a wide color range. They might be gray, black or brown, and they can have blue, green, purple or pink overtones.

Freshwater Cultured Pearls

Freshwater cultured pearls are the most commonly produced pearls and they are one of the most popular pearl types among shoppers and jewelry designers. This is due to their remarkable range of sizes, shapes and colors, plus their commercial availability at lower price points. They are usually cultured in freshwater lakes and ponds, often with many pearls grown in one oyster. China is the leading source for freshwater cultured pearls.

FACTS

• Mineral: Calcium Carbonate
• Chemistry: CaCO₃
• Color: White, black, gray, yellow, orange, pink, lavender, green, blue
• Refractive Index: 1.52-1.69
• Specific Gravity: 2.60-2.85
• Mohs Hardness: 2.5-3.0

2. MOONSTONE

Moonstone is the best-known gem of the feldspar group of minerals. It is renowned for its adularescence, the light that appears to billow across a gemstone, giving it a special glow. The finest moonstones show a blue sheen against a colorless background. Moonstone is often associated with love, passion and fertility; it is believed to bring great luck.

This includes parts of the United States, such as New Mexico, North Carolina and Virginia. The most important world locations for the moonstone birthstone are India and Sri Lanka, but sources also include Brazil, India, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Myanmar and Tanzania.

FACTS

• Mineral: Feldspar
• Chemistry:  KAlSi₃O₈
• Color: Colorless to White, Gray, Green, Peach, Brown
• Refractive index: 1.518 to 1.526
• Birefringence: 0.05 to 0.008
• Specific gravity: 2.58
• Mohs Hardness: 6.0 to 6.5

3. ALEXANDRITE

Alexandrite is the rare variety of the mineral chrysoberyl that changes color in different lighting. Most prized are those alexandrite birthstones that show a vivid green to bluish green in daylight or fluorescent light, and an intense red to purplish red in incandescent light. When certain types of long, thin inclusions are oriented parallel to each other in this June birthstone, they can create another phenomenon, called chatoyancy or the cat’s-eye effect. Few gems are as fascinating – or as stunning – as cat’s-eye alexandrite.

The spectacular Ural Mountain deposits were eventually mined out, and now most alexandrite comes from Brazil, Sri Lanka and East Africa. The newer deposits contain some fine-quality stones, but many display less-precise color change and muddier hues than the 19^th century Russian alexandrites. Because of its scarcity, especially in larger sizes, fine-quality alexandrite is one of the more expensive colored gems.

Alexandrite is also the gem for the 55th wedding anniversary.

FACTS

• Mineral: Chrysoberyl
• Chemistry: BeAl₂O₄
• Color: Bluish green in daylight, purplish red in incandescent light
• Refractive Index: 1.746 to 1.755
• Birefringence: 0.008 to 0.010
• Specific Gravity: 3.73
• Mohs Hardness: 8.5