- Birthstone for June -

The Synthetic Stone for June is Simulated Alexandrite.

Pearls, Moonstone, and Alexandrite.. Pearls, according to Indian mythology, were dewdrops from heaven that fell into the sea. They were caught by shellfish under the first rays of the rising sun, during a period of full moon. In India, warriors encrusted their swords with pearls to symbolize the tears and sorrow that a sword brings.

Unlike most gemstones that are found within the Earth, PEARLS have an organic origin. They are created within certain species of oysters and clams. Some pearls are found naturally in mollusks that inhabit the sea or fresh water settings such as rivers. However, many pearls today are cultured -- raised in oyster farms that sustain a thriving pearl industry.

A pearl is created when a very small fragment of rock, sand grain or parasite enters the oyster or clam. It irritates the mollusk, who responds by coating the foreign material with layer upon layer of shell material. Pearls formed on the inside of the shell are usually irregular in shape and have little commercial value. However, those formed within the tissue of the mollusk are either spherical or pear-shaped, and are highly sought out for jewelry.

Pearls possess a uniquely delicate translucence and luster that place them among the most highly valued of gemstones. The color of the pearl depends very much on the species of mollusk that produced it, and its environment. White is perhaps the best-known and most common color. However, some pearls also come in delicate shades of black, cream, gray, blue, yellow, lavender, green and mauve. Black pearls can be found in the Gulf of Mexico and waters off some islands in the Pacific Ocean. The Persian Gulf and Sri Lanka are well-known for exquisite cream-colored pearls called Orientals. Other localities for natural seawater pearls include the waters off Celebes in Indonesia, the Gulf of California and the Pacific coast of Mexico. The Mississippi River, and forest streams of Bavaria in Central Europe contain pearl-producing freshwater mussels.

Japan is famous for its cultured pearls. Everyone familiar with jewelry has heard of Mikimoto pearls, named after the creator of the industry, Kokichi Mikimoto. Some cultured pearls are bred in large oyster beds in Japanese waters. An "irritant", such as a tiny fragment of mother-of-pearl, is introduced into the fleshy part of two to three year-old oysters. The oysters are then grown in mesh bags submerged beneath the water and regularly fed for as long as seven to nine years before being harvested to remove their pearls. Cultured pearl industries are also carried out in Australia and equatorial islands of the Pacific.

La Peregrina (the Wanderer) is considered by many experts to be the most beautiful pearl. It was said to be originally found by a slave in Panama four-hundred years ago, who gave it up in return for his freedom. In 1570, the conquistadors sent the pearl to King Philip II of Spain. This pear-shaped white pearl, one and a half inches in length, hangs from a platinum mount studded with diamonds. The pearl was passed to Mary I of England, then to Prince Louis Napoleon of France. He sold it to the British Marquis of Abercon, but then it disappeared for a century only to turn up once again at a New York auction house in 1969. The pearl was purchased by actor Richard Burton for his wife, Elizabeth Taylor.

Pearls were also widely used as medicine in Europe until the 17th century. Arabs and Persians believed it was a cure for various kinds of diseases, as well as insanity. Pearls have also been used as medicine as early as 2000 BC in China, where it was believed to represent wealth, power and longevity. Even to this day, lowest-grade pearls are ground for use as medicine in the Orient.

June's second birthstone is the Moonstone. The ancient Roman natural historian, Pliny, said that the moonstone changed in appearance with the phases of the moon, a belief that persisted until the sixteenth century. The ancient Romans also believed that the image of Diana, goddess of the moon, was enclosed within it. Moonstones were believed to have the power to bring victory, health and wisdom to those who wore it. In India, the moonstone is considered a sacred stone, often displayed on a yellow cloth, also considered a sacred color. The stone is believed to bring good fortune, brought on by a spirit that lives within the stone.

Moonstones are believed to be named for the bluish white spots within them, that when held up to light, project a silvery play of color very much like the moon. When the stone is moved back and forth, the brilliant silvery rays appear to move about, like moonbeams playing over water.

This gemstone belongs to the family of minerals called feldspars, an important group of silicate minerals commonly formed in rocks. About half the Earth's crust is composed of feldspar. This mineral occurs in many igneous and metamorphic rocks, and also constitute a large percentage of soils and marine clays.

Rare geologic conditions produce gem varieties of feldspar such as moonstone, labradorite, amazonite and sunstone. They appear as large clean mineral grains, found in pegmatites (coarse-grained igneous rock) and ancient deep crustal rocks. Feldspars of gem quality are aluminosilicates, minerals containing aluminum, silicon and oxygen, that are mixed with sodium and potassium. The best moonstones are from Sri Lanka. They are also found in the Alps, Malagasy, Burma and India.

June's third birthstone is the Alexandrite. The stone is named after Prince Alexander of Russia (which is why the "A" in Alexandrite is capitalized), who was to later become Czar Alexander II in 1855). Discovered in 1839 on the day of the prince's birthday, Alexandrite was found in an emerald mine in the Ural Mountains of Russia. Because it is a relatively recent discovery, there has been little time for myth and superstition to build around this unusual stone. In Russia, the stone was also popular because it reflected the Russian national colors, green and red, and was believed to bring good luck.

The Alexandrite possesses an enchanting chameleon-like personality. In daylight, it appears as a beautiful green, sometimes with a bluish cast or with a brownish tint. However, under artificial lighting, the stone turns reddish-violet or violet.

Alexandrite belongs to the chrysoberyl family, a mineral called beryllium aluminum oxide in chemistry jargon, that contains the elements beryllium, aluminum and oxygen (BeAl2O4). This is a hard mineral, only surpassed in hardness by diamonds and corundum (sapphires and rubies). The unusual colors in Alexandrite are attributed to the presence of chromium in the mineral. Chrysoberyl is found to crystallize in pegmatites (very coarse-grained igneous rock, crystallized from magma) rich in beryllium. They are also found in alluvial deposits -- weathered pegmatites containing the gemstones that are carried by rivers and streams.

Alexandrite is an uncommon stone, and therefore very expensive. Sri Lanka is the main source of Alexandrite today, and the stones have also been found in Brazil, Malagasy, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Burma. Synthetic Alexandrite, resembling a reddish-hued amethyst with a tinge of green, has been manufactured but the color change seen from natural to artificial lighting cannot be reproduced. Such stones have met with only marginal market success in the United States.