The popularity of birthstones dates back to ancient times when people believed that they had incredible powers such as luck, health and prosperity.  Although most months are associated with a single gemstone a few, like June, have a couple.  The birthstones we use today are not necessarily the same ones used in years gone by.  Then, the colour was the most important feature, so they didn’t distinguish between stones the way we do.

Gifts of gemstone jewellery with a loved one’s birthstone are very popular because of the desire to wear something that is not only beautiful in colour but also has personal significance.  June birthdays claim two birthstones, Pearl and Alexandrite.

Alexandrite gemstones are extremely rare and desirable as they change colour based on the lighting.  In normal or fluorescent light it is a cool bluish mossy green, and then in candle or lamplight it is a red gem with a warm raspberry tone.  You can watch it flick back and forth by switching from fluorescent to incandescent light.  The more extreme the colour change, the more valuable the gemstone.

Alexandrite is said to strengthen intuition, aid in creativity and inspire the imagination. It was originally discovered in Russia’s Ural Mountains in the 1830’s and is now found in Sri Lanka, East Africa and Brazil.  It is extremely rare and valuable.

Pearls have been wildly popular for quite some time because of their exquisite natural beauty.  They are the only gemstone that comes from a living creature.  Mollusks such as oysters and mussels produce these precious jewels that appear in a wide variety of sizes and shapes.  Having said that, the white and almost perfectly round gems seem to still be the most popular.  Pearls are well known for their stunning beauty and their distinctive glow, often referred to as a jewel’s lustre.

They are formed when small foreign bodies, like grains of sand or small parasites get inside the mollusk and layers of pearly material begin to grow around it as a defence.  Layers of Pearl gradually form, much like the layers of an onion, creating concentric circles.  The more layers that are made, the larger the Pearl becomes.   It’s the overlapping of the layers that create the iridescent sheen.   They are available in white, brown, pink, black, gold and blue, depending on the type of water and mollusc that the Pearl was formed in.  Unlike gemstones that are measure by carat, a Pearl’s weight is given in grains.  It takes approximately four grains to equal a carat.  Pearls can be found in the Philippines and Sri Lanka, as well as the Caribbean and the Gulf of California.  Freshwater and saltwater Pearls can also be found in Japan, China, Ireland, Scotland, France, Austria, Australia, Germany, and the USA.

If you would love a unique piece of jewellery using your birthstone or would like something for your loved one, please click the button below or fill out the contact form and a gemstone specialist will be in touch.