Fun Facts About Pearl: June's Birthstone
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It’s June, which means it’s time for pool days, backyard barbecues, and vacations! It also means it’s time for us to learn about some more birthstones. Here are a few fun facts about one of this month’s birthstones, pearl!
- Pearls are the birthstone for June, as well as the traditional gem of the 3rd and 30th anniversaries.
- Pearl ranks as 2.5 on the Mohs hardness scale.
- Pearls were first written about in 2206 BC by a Chinese historian.
- In China, pearls were believed to protect the wearer from fire and fire-breathing dragons.
- In Europe, pearls were once a symbol of purity, modesty, and innocence.
- In the mid-1910s, Pierre Cartier couldn’t afford to buy a building, so he traded a double strand of natural pearls for a mansion on Fifth Avenue in NYC.
- Pearls are formed in mollusks, usually around a small irritant. If the irritant is placed there by a person, the pearls are “cultured.” If there is no human help, they are considered natural pearls.
- The first pearl was successfully cultured in 1893 by Kokichi Mikimoto.
- There are four main types of cultured pearls: Akoya, South Sea, Tahitian, and Freshwater.
- Many cultures associated pearls with the moon.
- Most people think of pearls as white and cream but there are many other colors! Black, gray, and silver pearls are all common but pearls can be found in every hue.
