The month of June has three birthstones associated with it, which are the pearl, alexandrite, and moonstone. The most common birthstone associated with the month of June is the pearl, which makes white the official June birthstone color. Unlike the majority of gemstones that are found on earth, pearls originate organically. They are made inside shells of certain types of clams and oysters. There are some pearls that are found naturally in mollusks that live in freshwater settings like rivers and in the sea. However, a lot of the pearls of today are from oyster farms. Pearls are made up of aragonite, which is a soft carbonate mineral that is also what the shells of mollusks are made of.

History of Pearls, Alexandrite, and Moonstone

According to mythology from South Asia, pearls were thought to be dewdrops from heaven that would fall into the sea. The shellfish caught the dewdrops under the rays of the sun when there was a full moon. Indian warriors encrusted their swords with them to represent the sorrow and tears that a sword will bring.

In Europe, pearls were used for medicine during the 17th century. Persians and Arabs believed that pearls could cure a number of diseases and insanity. Pearls were also used in medicine in China as early as 2000 BC. In China pearls were believed to represent longevity, power, and wealth. In Asia, the lower grade pearls today are ground up and used in medicines.
Moonstone and Alexandrite

The second birthstone of the month is moonstone. These stones are thought to be named because of the blue and white spots that are inside them. When the stone is held up to light it projects a silvery color that is similar to moonlight. Pliny, an ancient Roman historian stated that the stone would change in color based on the phases of the moon.

The third birthstone of June is Alexandrite. Alexandrite is an interesting stone as it appears to be a beautiful green color with perhaps a blue or brown tint. However, when the stone is placed under artificial lighting it turns violet or reddish violet. Alexandrite is not common and is extremely expensive because of this. The main source of the stone is Sri Lanka.

June Birth Flower

The birth flower for the month of June is the rose. Roses are typically found in the northern hemisphere and come in colors ranging from white and yellow to reds and pinks. It is thought that roses were being grown as many as 5000 years ago by early civilizations that lived in more temperate climates. It is also thought that the flower was grown in ancient Babylon as there were paintings of the flower found in Egyptian pyramid tombs that date back to the 14th century B.C. Greek and Chinese gardens dating back to 500 B.C. had roses in them.

Breeding roses started during the 17th century in Europe. This introduced new species that encouraged cultivation. Today different colors of roses mean different things. Red means I love you and white means you are heavenly, with other colors having meanings as well.