JUNE BIRTHSTONE: PEARLS

Pearls are unique as they are the only gems that come from living sea creatures and require no faceting or polishing to reveal their natural beauty. It comes in various shapes and colors, but the most ideal one is perfectly round and smooth. The most valuable pearls occur spontaneously in the wild and are extremely rare — they are referred to as natural pearls.

Pearls have been used as an adornment for centuries. They were one of the favorite gem materials of the Roman Empire; later in Tudor England, the 1500s were known as the pearl age. In the early 1900s, the first successful commercial culturing of round saltwater pearls began. Since the 1920s, cultured pearls have almost completely replaced natural pearls in the market.

In ancient Greece, pearls were thought to be formed when tears of joy from goddess Aphrodite hardened. Meanwhile, in Europe, Persia and China, it is widely used to prepare medicines and was believed to be a cure for insanity.

Pearls, in their simple yet majestic beauty, are associated to be a symbol of purity and peace.