Each month of the year is traditionally associated with a gemstone. For those born in June your birthstone is Pearl. This semi-precious gemstone exists in a variety of colours, with the most familiar being cream and white although the also come in a variety of hues including pink, silver, golden, green, blue and black.
Our Top 7 Facts about pearls
Fact One
In 1917, Perrie Cartier exchanged a string of highly valued natural pearls as payment for a mansion on Fifth Avenue in New York.
A double strand natural pearl necklace set with a diamond clasp by Perrie Cartier. This necklace sold at auction at Christies in 2012 for over three million US dollars.
- Image courtesy of Christies Auction House.
Fact Two
Pearls are either natural or cultured. Today natural pearls are extremely rare. It is more common to find cultured pearls used in modern jewellery. There are four types of cultured pearl Akoya Pearls, South Sea Pearls, Tahitian Pearls and Freshwater Pearls.
These beautiful freshwater pearls have been carefully strung on our pearl Pearl Bow Necklace
Fact Three
The colour of a pearl can vary due to a variety of reasons, including the type of oyster, the number of layers of nacre, trace elements in the oysters aquatic environment. Black pearls are usually only produced by black-lipped oysters, it is very uncommon for any other type of oyster to produce a black pearl.
- Courtesy A & Z Pearls and Tasaki Shinju Co. Picture courtesy of GIA.
Fact Four
The first cultured pearl was created in 1893, by Kokichi Mikimoto. Kokichi revived the pearl industry at a time where natural pearl producing oysters were becoming more and more scarce with every passing year. The discovery of cultured pearls became commercially important in the 1920's, at time where long pearl necklaces were the perfect accessory when teamed with a flapper dress on an evening out!
Kokichi Mikimoto at work - Photo courtesy of Mikimoto.
Fact Five
Pearls have always been a symbol of royalty, glamour, feminine purity and status.
The pearl is the queen of gems and the gem of queens!
Elizabeth, Queen of Bohemia adorned in pearls - Courtesy of BBC
Fact Six
The saying “Pearls of wisdom” is thought to refer the rarity of a piece of perfect wisdom, which is often as hard to find as a perfect natural pearl. This saying refers to the value of good wisdom, something that should be cherished and treasured.
Fact Seven
La Peregrina is one of the most famous pearls in history. Originally found over 550 years ago, it is one of the largest white pear-shaped drop pearls in the world. This pearl has belonged to a succession of Spanish kings before being bought at auction by Richard Burton as a gift for Elizabeth Taylor.
Elizabeth Taylor wearing La Peregrina