Pearl Birthstone for June

Mankind has been fascinated by the delicate, glowing beauty of pearls for thousands of years. Long associated with the moon, pearls represent purity, faith and wisdom in many cultures around the world. Different colours of pearls are also associated with different meanings: white with innocence, black with prosperity and pink with love. Most valuable when perfectly round, pearls are an organic gem grown inside oysters for up to eight years, with natural pearls being more expensive and rare than cultured pearls. (How to tell a natural pearl from a cultured or fake pearl – run the pearl against your teeth. If it’s gritty it’s a natural pearl, if it’s smooth it’s either a cultured pearl or a fake). The Japanese in particular value pearls highly – the salt water variety being native to the islands – and associate them with good luck. Pearls are also associated with the star sign Cancer – perhaps due to the correlation of tough outer shells and inner beauty – and traditionally represent the 30th wedding anniversary.