Birthstone for June: Pearl and Alexandrite

About Pearl: the June Birthstone

The birthstone for June is pearl, and alexandrite is the modern alternative. Pearl is an organic gem that forms inside a mollusk around an irritant, which makes it the one birthstone grown by a living animal instead of found in the ground. Nearly every pearl in jewelry today is cultured, meaning a farmed oyster or mussel was seeded and left to build the pearl. A cultured pearl is the same material as a natural one, and natural pearls are rare.

Pearl is soft, at 2.5 to 4.5 on the Mohs scale, so it scratches against harder stones and reacts to perfume, hairspray and acid. That is why pearls are usually worn as necklaces and pendants, which stay clear of knocks, and why a pearl ring needs a protected setting. Our pearl designs are mostly necklaces and pendants, and white is the common color, with Akoya among the named types. Pearls are judged on luster, surface, shape, color and size. Many cultured pearls are bleached or dyed to even out or change their color, so read the item name and ask if treatment matters to you.

Alexandrite is a chrysoberyl and sits at 8.5 on the Mohs scale, hard enough for a ring worn every day. Its color changes with the light, usually green or blue-green in daylight and purplish red under incandescent light, and the strength of that change is what separates one stone from another. Alexandrite makes up most of the June listing here. Natural alexandrite with a strong color change is very scarce, and lab-created alexandrite is common in jewelry, so check whether the item name says natural or lab-created before you compare prices.

For pearl, choose a necklace or pendant, or a ring with the pearl set low and shielded by a bezel or prongs. White gold and platinum suit white pearls, and yellow gold warms them. For alexandrite, a bezel or a full set of prongs holds the stone securely and lets light reach it from several angles, which is what shows the color change.

Why buy pearl from ATL Luxury Jewelry?

ATL Luxury Jewelry has been open in Snellville since 2008 and has 300+ five-star Google reviews. Catalog stock is made to order, and the showroom at 1905 Scenic Hwy N Ste 230 is where you can look at pearl and alexandrite pieces and talk through metal, size and setting.

Cleaning, inspection and prong tightening are free in store, engraving is free at purchase, and pearl restringing is covered by our care plans. If the piece you want is not in the catalog, we design custom pieces with you in the showroom. Book a design consultation.