Pearls are the traditional birthstone for June, while the modern birthstone is Alexandrite!
Pearls are the only gems found within living creatures; however, most pearls on the market today are cultivated or cultured, since they now occur extremely rarely in nature. There is a natural association with qualities like honesty, purity, and wisdom. Some cultures associate pearls with the divine, believing that pearls were tears shed from heaven, while others placed pearls in the graves of their loved ones.
Alexandrite is well-known for displaying one of the most remarkable color changes in the gem world — green in sunlight and red in incandescent light. Alexandrite was first discovered in Russia in the early 19th century, and quickly became a favorite of Russian royalty. It was named after the future Czar Alexander II. Alexandrite is worn to enhance the intellect and invite good luck.
(International Gem Society)
