One, Two, or Three!
Lucky Gemini, you have a choice of 3 gemstones—Pearl, Alexandrite and Moonstone. June is one of the only two months that has three birthstones. Choose between a creamy-colored pearl or opalescent moonstone to the rare color-changing Alexandrite, a gem that mimics your changing personality.
First up, Pearls, shown above are a pair of earrings I created using South Sea Pearls. Pearls are the only gemstones made by living creatures. These lovely organic gems don’t require polishing to reveal their natural luster. The rarest, of course, are natural pearls made in the wild and are extremely rare. The majority of pearls grown and seen on the market today are the more affordable cultured pearl. The cultured pearl is grown on pearl farms using a delicate surgical procedure of implanting a bead into the mollusk before returning it to the water where it is continually cared for. It is interesting to note, 10,000 pearls may be sorted before a 16” strand of single beautifully matched pearls is assembled.
June’s second birthstone choice, Moonstone. The Roman natural historian Pliny, who wrote that moonstone’s shimmery appearance shifted with the phases of the moon, named this gem. Moonstone is composed of microscopic layers of feldspar that scatter light causing a billowy effect of adularescence. Thinner layers produce a bluish sheen and thicker layers look white. Moonstone comes in a range of colors spanning yellow, gray, green, blue, peach and pink—sometimes displaying a star or cat’s eye.
Taking up Third and no less the least favorite is the ever-changing Alexandrite. Alexandrite is a relatively modern gem discovered in Russia around 1834 in an emerald mine in the Ural Mountains. This beautiful rare gemstone was discovered on the same day the future Russian Czar, Alexander II came of age. In his honor, the gemstone was named Alexandrite. This green to red stone is known as the official Imperial Russian Gemstone. It is often described as “Emerald by day, Ruby by night,” this gem is a rare, changing color from bluish green in daylight to purplish red under incandescent light.
So Gemini, the choice is yours, One, Two or Three. As a Gemini myself, I suggest you change your gem of choice each year.
