Pearl, Alexandrite, or Moonstone -
June Birthstones
A pearl is not a stone at all. It is the organic product of a few
types of shellfish. The pearl is the only gem that does not have
to be cut and polished. It is ready to wear when taken from the
shell in which it has grown.
The Egyptians, Persians and Hindus held the pearl
in great esteem and the Romans learned of it from them. Julius Caesar
was a great fancier of pearls. The couches and trappings of the
Romans literally glowed with pearls. Roman women wore them in their
sleep to remind themselves of their wealth.
The pearls brought back from the Orient by the Crusaders
probably spread the appreciation of these gems to Europe, where
they were worn as personal ornaments by men and women of high rank.
In fact, pearls were so much in vogue that a subsequent period in
European history was called the Pearl Age.
Not only was the pearl sacred to the Greek goddess
of love, Aphrodite, and to her Roman counterpart, Venus, (who also
came from the sea). The white radiance of the gem made it a favorite
of Diana, the chaste moon goddess.
Pearls were dedicated to the Angel Gabriel and adorned
the gates of the New Jerusalem, probably the original "pearly
gates." They were fundamental in the Table of the Koran and
the Hindus thought them the divine creation of Vishna.
The pearl has always been the gem of modesty and purity
and has been believed to have a power for the good: to bring succor
in troubled times, to cement friendships and to strengthen weak
hearts and memory. The pearl supposedly gives its wearers the courage
to resist and overcome evil, eases irritability, wards off pestilence,
increases the fruitfulness of oxen and cures blood disorders!
The most beautiful pearl ever is claimed to be La
Peregrina, "The Wanderer," a gem with a long and colorful
history. It was found over four hundred years ago in Panama by a
black slave who was said to have been given his freedom in return
for this extraordinary pearl. It was then sent to King Philip II
of Spain by his conquistadors in 1570. This matchless white pearl,
which weighs over twenty-seven carats and is about one and a half
inches long, was given to Mary I of England and then to Prince Louis
Napoleon of France, who sold it to a British Marquis to raise needed
cash. It disappeared for a period and in 1969 was bought by Richard
Burton as a birthday gift for Elizabeth Taylor.
As the birthstone for June, the pearl brings a promise
of health and longevity.
There are two alternate birthstones for June. One
is the alexandrite, the other the moonstone.
The alexandrite has the remarkable property of displaying
two colors: green by day and red at night. Poets have spoken of
this variety of the mineral chrysoberyl as "an emerald by day
and a ruby by night."
This gem derives its name from the fact that it was
discovered on the birthday of Alexander II, czar of Russia, in 1839
-- the year the then heir-apparent reached his majority. The story
goes that a group of miners in the Ural Mountains found some stones
that looked like emeralds, but when they took them back to the camp
that night, the campfire light made them shine red. In the morning,
however, the stones shone green again. The men soon realized that
they had found a new gem. Red and green were the imperial Russian
colors, making the alexandrite of special meaning in that country.
The alexandrite is regarded as a harbinger of good
luck.
The moonstone is named for the bluish-white internal
reflections that seem to have a silvery play of color like the moon.
The more of this silvery light a stone has and the more translucent
it is, the greater its value. Not all moonstones have this pearl-blue
hue; some have a green, blue or yellow tint. When the gem is turned
back and forth, its shows silver rays that have been compared to
moonbeams dancing over the water.
The moonstone has no sharp edges and is sometimes
liked to a raindrop or tear. The Asians, steep in gem lore, point
out that when there is a moon there is no rain and so the name,
moonstone, means "no tears." The moonstone is believed
to arouse tender passions in lovers. According to legend, a moonstone
placed in the mouth while the moon is full gives lovers the power
to read their futures together.
Moonstones have been found in Switzerland, Sri Lanka
and more recently in India. Small stones are found relatively often;
larger stones of unflawed quality are more rare.
The moonstone has always been regarded as bringing
luck and is held in high esteem in the Orient where it is believed
that it has a live spirit that moves as the stone is turned. Superstition
says it has the power to hypnotize the person who gazes at it as
it moves back and forth. In India it is regarded as sacred and can
only be displayed on a yellow cloth since yellow is a sacred color
in that country. The Moonstone Temple, built about 1100 BC. at Anuradhapura,
Sri Lanka, had altar steps paved with moonstones. Its ruins are
still visible.
As a June birthstone, the moonstone is a lucky gem that stands for
friendship.
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