June's Birth Stone
Traditionally, Pearl is the Birthstone for June
Yes, I know --- a pearl is not a gemstone. Nevertheless, pearls are the traditional
"gem" for June, whether it is a "gem", or not.
They have been valued as gems since Biblical times, for their beautiful luster, and durability.
Even though pearls' hardness, on a scale of 1 to 10, is only 2.5 to 4.5, due to their formation and shape, it is extremely difficult to crush them.They are usually the product of mussels, or mollusks, which we commonly called oysters.
When a foreign substance enters the mollusk, the mollusk surrounds the intruder with a cyst. To the mollusk, the foreign substance is an irritant, so it forms the cyst to protect itself, and remove the irritation. Once the cyst is formed, the mollusk
deposits concentric layer after layer of calcium carbonate around it. We call it mother-of-pearl, or nacre. It is bound with conchiolin, which is an organic horn substance, and eventually enough layers surround the cyst, to form a pearl.
The most desirable pearls are perfectly round, although pearls are formed in many different shapes, depending on the shape of the foreign object that entered, and how evenly the nacre is applied.
There are freshwater pearls and salt-water pearls. Both are beautiful. Some of the most expensive pearls in the world come from Tahiti, where they have pearls in many colors. The black Tahitian pearls command a premium price.
Yes, I know --- a pearl is not a gemstone. Nevertheless, pearls are the traditional
"gem" for June, whether it is a "gem", or not.
They have been valued as gems since Biblical times, for their beautiful luster, and durability.
Even though pearls' hardness, on a scale of 1 to 10, is only 2.5 to 4.5, due to their formation and shape, it is extremely difficult to crush them.They are usually the product of mussels, or mollusks, which we commonly called oysters.
When a foreign substance enters the mollusk, the mollusk surrounds the intruder with a cyst. To the mollusk, the foreign substance is an irritant, so it forms the cyst to protect itself, and remove the irritation. Once the cyst is formed, the mollusk
deposits concentric layer after layer of calcium carbonate around it. We call it mother-of-pearl, or nacre. It is bound with conchiolin, which is an organic horn substance, and eventually enough layers surround the cyst, to form a pearl.
The most desirable pearls are perfectly round, although pearls are formed in many different shapes, depending on the shape of the foreign object that entered, and how evenly the nacre is applied.
There are freshwater pearls and salt-water pearls. Both are beautiful. Some of the most expensive pearls in the world come from Tahiti, where they have pearls in many colors. The black Tahitian pearls command a premium price.