Alexandrite and pearl are the two birthstones for June birthdays. Due to their inherent beauty, pearls have been used in jewelry for many years. Gemstones made of alexandrite are exceedingly rare and prized because they change color depending on the illumination.
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What are June’s two birthstones?
You are fortunate to have three birthstones to call your own if you were born in the month of June. Only three monthsJune, August, and Decemberhave three birthstones each, providing you a wide selection of lovely birthstones to choose from.
Moonstone, alexandrite, and pearl are the birthstones for June. Due to the variety of colors and price ranges these gems offer, people with June birthdays can find a birthstone that suits their mood or budget.
Why are there three birthstones for June?
Why are there three birthstones for June? Some months have more than one birthstone because different historical stones have become extremely rare, making it less likely that they would be sold on the market and meet consumer demand.
What hue is the month of June?
Alexandrite with Pearl for June June’s birthstones are as distinctive as they come because she has two, Pearl & Alexandrite, as her birthstones. The Alexandrite is incredibly uncommon and capable of “color-changing,” appearing green in natural light and shifting to a purple-red hue in incandescent or artificial light.
What birthstone falls under May and June?
What stones represent each month’s birth? Garnet, amethyst, aquamarine, diamond, emerald, alexandrite, ruby, peridot, sapphire, tourmaline, topaz, and blue topaz are the gemstones associated with the months of January through December. Find out more about these well-known gemstones.
What is the birthstone for Gemini?
The color of the Gemini birthstone represents purity and soothes anxiety. Light Amethyst is the birthstone color for anyone born in June or under the twins’ zodiac sign.
Black birthstone for June?
While white is the birthstone for June’s most recognizable and popular color, pearls also naturally occur in a wide range of irridescent hues, including gold, pink, black, green, blue, brown, and gray.
What does a birthstone for June mean?
The pearl is the birthstone for June according to astrologers. Additionally, they claim that the stone is in harmony with the Gemini zodiac sign. People have long held the notion that pearls offer serenity, love, luck, and knowledge.
Their white color is linked to purity and brightness. The birthstone pearl is hence symbolic of purity and sincerity. It is believed that wearing it as your birthstone can bring love and luck to new life starts like marriage, home moves, and infants.
What color is the birthstone for June?
Pearls are biological, in contrast to the majority of gemstones discovered on Earth. Simply said, they develop within specific varieties of oyster and clam shells. Some pearls are naturally occurring in mollusks that live in freshwater or saltwater, such as rivers. Today, a large number of pearls are cultured, or grown in oyster farms, which supports a robust pearl business. Aragonite, a moderately soft carbonate mineral (CaCO3) that also makes up mollusc shells, is the main component of pearls.
When a tiny rock piece, sand grain, or parasite enters the mollusk’s shell, a pearl is created. The oyster or clam reacts by covering the foreign substance with successive layers of shell material because it bothers them. The majority of pearls that form on the inside of the shell have a skewed shape and little commercial value. The spherical or pear-shaped ones, which originate within the mollusk’s tissue, are much sought for for jewelry.
Pearls come in several colors
One of the most expensive gemstones, pearls are prized for their distinctively delicate translucence and shine. The type of mollusk that made the pearl and its surroundings both affect the color of the pearl. Generally speaking, white pearls are the most popular and well-known color. But pearls also come in delicate tones of mauve, blue, yellow, lavender, green, cream, and gray. The waters around several islands in the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico both contain black pearls. Beautiful cream-colored pearls known as Orientals are well-known from the Persian Gulf and Sri Lanka. The waters around the Indonesian island of Celebes, the Gulf of California, and the Pacific coast of Mexico are additional locations for natural seawater pearls. Freshwater mussels that can produce pearls can be found in the Mississippi River and the forest streams of Bavaria, Germany.
Also popular are beautiful cultured pearls
Cultured pearls are highly regarded in Japan. Additionally, everyone who is familiar with jewelry has heard of Mikimoto pearls, which were named after Kokichi Mikimoto, who founded the business. Large oyster beds in Japanese waters are where cultured pearls thrive. The fleshy section of 2- to 3-year-old oysters is exposed to a “irritant, such as a minute fragment of mother-of-pearl. The oysters are then nurtured for 7 to 9 years in mesh bags submerged in water before being picked to extract their pearls. The equatorial islands of the Pacific and Australia both have farmed pearl industry in addition to Japan.
Famous pearls
According to estimates, the largest pearl in the world is roughly 3 inches long, 2 inches wide, and weighs around 1/3 of a pound (.13 kg). It was given as a present by Shah Jahan of India to Mumtaz, his favorite wife, in whose honor he had built the Taj Mahal. It was known as the Pearl of Asia.
Many experts believe La Peregrina (the Wanderer) to be the most stunning pearl. In the 1500s, a slave was supposed to have discovered it in Panama and given it over in exchange for his freedom. The area’s colonial ruler gave the pearl to King Philip II of Spain in 1570. This white pearl measures 1 1/2 inches in length and is pear-shaped. It hangs on a platinum setting that is set with diamonds. Mary I of England received the pearl before it was given to Prince Louis Napoleon of France. The British Marquis of Abercorn bought it from him, and his family held it until 1969, when they put it up for auction at Sotheby’s. Finally, the item was purchased for Elizabeth Taylor by actor Richard Burton.
Pearl lore
In South Asian tradition, pearls were created when dewdrops from heaven dropped into the ocean. When the moon was full, they were captured by shellfish as the sun was just rising. To represent the grief and sadness that a sword conveys, Indian soldiers adorned their swords with pearls.
Up to the 17th century, pearls were also commonly utilized as medicine throughout Europe. It was thought to be a treatment for various illnesses, including insanity, by the Arabs and Persians. In China, where they were regarded as symbols of riches, power, and longevity, pearls were also utilized as medicine as early as 2000 B.C. Low-grade pearls are still crushed up and used as medicine in Asia today.
Another June birthstone: the moonstone
The moonstone is the second birthstone for June. It is thought that the bluish-white specks inside moonstones gave them their name. As a result, when held up to the light, they emit a silvery dance of color that closely resembles moonlight. Additionally, as the stone oscillates, bright silvery rays travel around like moonbeams dancing across water.
The feldspar family of minerals, a significant class of silicate minerals frequently produced in rocks, includes moonstone. Feldspar makes up around half of the Earth’s crust. In addition to being present in numerous igneous and metamorphic rocks, this mineral makes up a sizable portion of soils and marine clays.
Gem feldspar variants like moonstone, labradorite, amazonite, and sunstone are the result of rare geological circumstances. They appear as huge, spotless mineral grains and are present in deep crustal rocks and pegmatites, which are igneous rocks with coarse grains. Aluminosilicatesminerals with aluminum, silicon, and oxygenthat are combined with sodium and potassium are what make up feldspars of gem quality. Sri Lanka produces the best moonstones. Additionally, they can be found in India, Madagascar, Myanmar (Burma), and the Alps.
Moonstone lore
It was believed until the 16th century that the moonstone’s appearance changed according to the moon’s phases, according to the ancient Roman naturalist Pliny. The moon goddess Diana’s likeness was supposedly contained within the stone, according to ancient Romans. People who wore moonstones were said to experience victory, good health, and knowledge.
The moonstone is frequently exhibited on a yellow fabric in India since the color yellow is revered as a sacred one. The spirit that resides inside the stone is thought to be responsible for the stone’s luck-bringing properties.
Or select alexandrite as your June birthstone
The alexandrite is the third birthstone for June. Alexandrite has a charming, chameleon-like temperament. It has a lovely green hue in the daylight, occasionally with a bluish or brownish tint. The stone, however, changes color to a reddish-violet or violet under artificial lighting.
The mineral beryllium aluminum oxide, also known as alexandrite, is a member of the chrysoberyl family and comprises the elements beryllium, aluminum, and oxygen (BeAl2O4). The only minerals harder than it are corundum and diamonds (sapphires and rubies). The presence of chromium in alexandrite is what gives the stone its unique hues. Chrysoberyl is found to crystallize in pegmatites, which are beryllium-rich, very coarse-grained igneous rocks that formed from magma. They can also be found in alluvial deposits, which are pegmatites that have weathered and include gemstones, and are transported by rivers and streams.
Alexandrite is rare and expensive
Because it is a rare stone, alexandrite is quite pricey. Today, the majority of alexandrite comes from Sri Lanka, but it has also been discovered in Brazil, Madagascar, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Myanmar (Burma). A synthetic alexandrite that resembles a reddish-purple amethyst with a hint of green has been created in the meantime. Natural and artificial illumination do not cause the artificial stones’ colors to shift. Additionally, the artificial stones have only had sporadic market success in the US.
History of June birthstone alexandrite
Prince Alexander of Russia, who succeeded Czar Alexander II in 1855, is honored by the epithet “Alexandrite.” In an emerald mine in the Ural Mountains of Russia, alexandrite was discovered in 1839 on the prince’s birthday.
There hasn’t had much time for myth and superstition to develop around this remarkable stone because of how recently it was discovered. Because it reflected the green and red colors of the Russian flag and was thought to bring luck, the stone was also well-liked in Russia.
Is Amethyst a birthstone for June?
The most contemporary birthstone for June is alexandrin. The gemstone’s ability to change color”Emerald by day, ruby by night”is its most notable characteristic. Under normal conditions, alexandrite is a clear yellowish-green to greenish-blue stone. But because to a process called pleochroism, it exhibits the most amazing color change in the world when exposed to polarized light (for instance, sunshine). It consequently explodes into a variety of colors, ranging from red to dark purple or orange, depending on the angle of illumination.
The mineral chrysoberyl, which gives chrysoberyl its ability to change color, is most valuable in its form known as alexandrite. The most valuable Alexandrite birthstones exhibit a vibrant green to bluish-green color in daylight or fluorescent light and a deep red to purplish hue in incandescent light.
Alexandrite’s uncommon display of colors is frequently equated to a metaphor for love. The true alexandrite might appear in a variety of shapes or colors, but you can always tell when you have it. Giving someone special Alexandrite is a lovely way to show them how much you care.
Despite Alexandrite’s unusual qualities, there is little to no folklore or lore related to it. Even though it has been around for a while, compared to other gemstones, it was only recently found.
The Ural Mountains, home to Russian emerald mines, is where the modern gemstone was discovered. Some suggest that it was found in 1834, the year Alexander II, the future Russian Czar, reached legal adulthood. He is credited with having inspired the name “Alexandrite.”
Properties
The most striking and amazing characteristic of the chrysoberyl “chameleon” stone is its capacity to change color. In incandescent light, alexandrite appears purplish to reddish-pink, whereas in daylight, it appears either sea-foam green or bluish. This is caused by variations in the light’s absorption and reflection, which alter the color spectrum it emits.
This chrysoberyl is unrelated to the green birthstone despite having the term “beryl” and frequently having the same hue as emerald. Aluminum is found in trace levels in chrysoberyl crystals. Chromium must replace some aluminum ions in order for the crystal to become alexandrite, which causes light in the yellow spectrum to be absorbed.
The Alexandrite crystals are also trichroic, meaning they have three different optical axes. This enables different hues to be perceived from various perspectives, which explains how the same gem can exhibit several colors when lit from the same source.
Factors Affecting Value
Alexandrite is valued for its chameleon-like characteristics. As a result, some hues are chosen than others. The Alexandrite crystals’ value is influenced by the level of chromium ions, which are balanced between ruby and emerald and are responsible for the color-changing property. Another issue is the distinctness of the color change.
Specific types of long, thin inclusions exhibit chatoyancy, commonly referred to as the cat’s-eye effect, when they are produced parallel to one another. One of the most popular June birthstones is the cat’s eye Alexandrite.
Occurrence and Mining
There are only a few areas in the globe where you can find this birthstone for June. The mines in India, Madagascar, Tanzania, and Sri Lanka are the primary sources of alexandrite.
Natural vs Synthetic
Numerous synthetic Alexandrites are available. There are various factors to watch out for when recognizing a fake stone, though testing and consulting an expert for accuracy should always be taken into consideration.
The Alexandrite’s size and clarity turn into crucial hints as to how it was formed. Since large gemstones are so uncommon in nature, it’s unlikely that you’ll find one in your neighborhood pawn shop. Vanadium is typically added to corundum to give synthetic Alexandrite its distinctive color.
