Pearl – June Birthstone

Among all of the gemstones available, the pearl it is the only one which is formed entirely within a living being. They occur when some form of irritant lodges itself into a mollusk – such as an oyster, mussel, or abalone. To protect itself from the foreign body, the mollusk forms a nucleus over it and continues to coat it with layers of nacre (also known as mother of pearl). The size, color and shape of the pearl have to do with the size and shape of the nucleus, and the region of the ocean in which the mollusk resides.

Natural pearls today, are extremely rare. Since the early part of the 20th century, cultured pearls have supplanted natural pearls as the most common and available pearls. They are still real pearls; the difference is that the pearl farmer intentionally stimulates the development of the pearl by inserting a "nucleus" into the oyster. Thus, the formation and discovery of the pearl are no longer left to chance.

Pearls of gemstone quality are almost always nacreous and iridescent, like the interior of the shell that produces them. Most pearls are white or shaded pink, brown and black pearls can also be found in nature, their shades vary according to the quality of the water in which it grew and the mollusk that shelters them.

Although jewelry uses primarily natural pearls, their popularity is making a comeback. Colorful abalone and conch pearls have begun to find favour in exotic, unique designs.

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