Birthstone month: June
Color: All
Family: Pearl
Moh's Hardness: 2.5
Transparency: Opaque
Pearls are lustrous, opaque specimens that don't quite fit into the gemstone mineral group. Rather, they're organic gemstones like jet or amber.
Pearls are created when a small irritant, such as a piece of sand, becomes trapped or is intentionally placed inside specific types of mollusks. Natural pearls are found in nature, while cultured pearls have a small seed or starter intentionally placed inside the mollusk to grow a pearl. For both natural and cultured pearls, the mollusk creates layers of nacre around the irritant, and eventually a pearl is formed.
Pearl is the traditional birthstone for June, and is also the gemstone of third and thirtieth wedding anniversaries.
How can you distinguish real pearls from imitation, plastic pearls? Here's an easy tip: rub the pearl against one of your front teeth. If it feels smooth, it's imitation. If it feels gritty, it may be genuine.
xo,
Christine
Sources:
Pearl Gemstone | Pearl Stone - GIA, www.gia.edu/pearl