What do Krishna, the Koran, and Hanover Royalty have in common? Beautiful creamy pearls. The June birthstone is not really stones at all but an organic material! Find out more about the magic and mystery of the little organic mineral.
Pearls in the Rough :: What’s in These Birth Stones?
June birthstones begin as a pain in the neck, literally. Pearls are formed in oysters and mussels as an irritant. To protect themselves, these creatures form a “nacre” around whatÃs bothering them (usually a parasite or a piece of rock).
The nacre is made out of CaCO3 (calcium, carbon, and oxygen). It takes about 7 or 8 years to make a quality pearl.
How do pearls get their luster? Actually, it’s in the temperature of the water. The cooler the water, the more luster; the warmer, the bigger the pearl. Now if these pearls stay too long in the shell, they become “baroque pearls.” These pearls are no longer spherical but have different shapes.
Also, the June birthstone can have different shades of color depending on where they are from. People who really know pearls can identify where they came from by their color. Pearls from Japan are creamy white; Sri Lanka, pink; Persian Gulf, cream; the June birthstone from Burma are a beautiful white tinted with rose; and pearls even come in black from the Gulf of Mexico.
Pearls can be very tiny, but the ones you see in pearl jewelry are usually 6 to 10 mm. However, the seas around Burma can grow pearls to 16 mm.
The man-made version of the June birthstone began in the thirteenth century when the Chinese began introducing irritants into the shells and so started the “cultured” pearl business.
Cleopatra did WHAT with her June birthstones?
Pearls begin their history as far back as the fourth century as they were found buried with a Persian Princess. These birthstones are even found in the Bible and Koran. Job laments to God in Job 28:15-19 mentioning pearls and other birth stones. The Koran states a good Muslim on entering the Kingdom of Heaven “is crowned with pearls of incomparable luster, and is attended by beautiful maidens resembling hidden pearls.”
Cleopatra even dissolved a pearl in wine for Mark Anthony, to show the tremendous wealth of Egypt, not to seduce him.
The June birthstones have been found in tombs from the Toltec and Aztecs to Egyptian graves.
One of the most traveled strands of these birthstones are the Hanover Pearls which went back and forth from England to Germany many times depending on who was on the English throne at the time. However, rumor holds that the birthstones that are currently in Germany are not the original Hanover pearls and that they still reside in England.
Mythology and Legends :: June Birthstones
The legends surrounding pearls are as wondrous as the June birthstone themselves. The Ancient Greeks had a belief that pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlyweds from crying. Roman women would sleep with these birth stones to sweeten their dreams.
Legend has it that the Hindu god Krishna drew pearls from the sea to give to his daughter Pandaia to wear on her wedding day. Thus, he started the tradition of giving these birth stones to brides.
There was also an ancient beliefs that these birth stones were Tears of God.
Pearls are considered by some to be the “Queen Gem” as compared to the “King Gem” or diamond.
During the Crusades, knights would give these birth stones to their ladies to show their feelings.
Pearls are also the Chinese symbol of wealth, power, and longevity.
Healing Pearls :: June Birthstones in the Healing Arts
The pearl has been used for gentle healing like the energy of the sea.
These birth stones are used in healing for:
* Relaxation
* Soothing emotions
* Sensibility
* Relieving Stress
* Purity of heart and mind
* Balancing
* Creating beauty and harmony from discord
* Eye Ailments
Europeans used either the powder of pearl or swallowing these birth stones whole to cure themselves of troubling thoughts and feelings.
These birth stones correspond to the 4th Chakra for soul and heart. It is said to help with:
* Creativity
* Purity
* Sacrificial love
* Balance
Symbolism of June Birthstones :: The Purity of Pearls
Some symbolic meaning of pearls include:
* Wealth
* Power
* Longevity
* Beauty
* Sensibility
The June birth stone is also the traditional jewelry gift for the third and thirtieth wedding anniversary. Freshwater pearl jewelry is used for the first anniversary.
June birthstones, pearls, have long been a symbol of love and wealth. Persian to Egyptian royalty as well as the knights of the crusades used these birthstones to let their loved ones know their feelings for them.
I love the energy of pearls and would be happy to custom design a piece of pearl jewelry for you. They also make lovely energy for prayerbeads, and in fact I’ve seen antique Buddhist malas made with pearls. I would be happy to create a pearl prayer beads mala for your meditation practice.