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Pearl jewellery on pink shells

June Birthstone, Sophisticated Jewel with a Touch of Glamour

Pearl jewellery is especially for June babies, brides and 30th wedding anniversaries.

5th August 2019 Ernest Jones - Editor

Pearls are a birthstone with a rich history and a unique position as a naturally occurring gemstone. Nothing looks more luxurious than a set of pearl earrings and necklace, to highlight a decolletage.

Having reached iconic status, they're timeless, stylish and elegant. For decades they have been the jewel of choice for A-listers and royalty: Audrey Hepburn, Katy Perry, Kate Middleton the Duchess of Cambridge have all loved pearls. This is a birthstone with great heritage, thought to have been discovered back in 420 BC, the very first pearl is now showcased in La Louvre Museum in Paris.

Pearls are considered a unique jewel, often referred to as the "Queen of Gems". They are the only gemstone formed under the sea and can have different shapes, colours and sizes. They symbolise purity and generosity and are associated with wisdom acquired over time, it's traditional for brides to wear pearl jewellery and they're often given as graduation gifts.

Myths about Pearls

Although pearls are formed within an oyster from a tiny grain, in ancient times there was no concept of this, so romantic myths came about about how the pearl was formed. To the ancient Greeks pearls were the tears of happiness from the God of Love, Aphrodite, whereas the Chinese thought pearls where were formed by the light of the moon.

As the birthstone for June symbolises plenty of personality traits. People who have the pearl as their birthstone are said to be wise, pure, and it offers protection.

Types of Pearls

There are two different types of pearls; Natural Pearls and Cultured Pearls.

What are the differences:

Natural pearls are pearls that grow organically inside an oyster or a mussel.

Cultured Pearls are created by humans, a shell bead is placed inside the oyster and it creates a layer around the bead, thus creating the pearl.

The four main types of cultured pearls are

  • Akoya Pearls, "standard" pearls with a cream-white, soft yellow, pink, silver or grey colour.
  • Tahiti Pearls, a black-green, deep black or silver-grey colour.
  • Freshwater pearls, the most common and affordable. Colours tend to range between pink, lavender, white and apricot.
  • South Sea Pearls, a silver-blue to a golden colour that can be up to 22 mm.

Pearl 101: Taking Care of Your Jewellery

Pearls are considered a soft gemstone, and although they won’t break easily, they can become damaged, so scratched or chipped.

  1. Store them away from other jewellery to avoid scratching
  2. To clean, only use a little PH neutral soap and water (avoid heavy cleaning products).

The use of hairsparys and gels etc and cosmetic skin products while wearing pearls can remove the natural shine.