The Pearl is June’s birthstone.  For centuries, the Pearl has been known for its calming properties. Also the Pearl is said to aid purity, charity, integrity, truth, and loyalty in its wearer.

Today, Pearls are regarded as both classic and contemporary, coming in many more fashionable styles than your mother's traditional strand of pearls.

Pearls can be found in saltwater and in freshwater. There are also different types of mollusks that produce very different looking pearls. Often their food supply the varying waters determines the colors of the pearls.

Pearls are formed when a mollusk produces layers of nacre (pronounced NAY-kur) around some type of irritant inside its shell. The quality of the nacre dictates the quality of the luster. This nacre is very important to the pearl’s beauty and its value, whether the pearl's overall shape is oval, pear-shaped, or many irregular shapes that offer their own sculptural beauty.

Freshwater Pearls are grown in freshwater lakes, rivers, and ponds predominately in China. They can also be produced in various shapes and in an array of pastel colors. Many freshwater pearls don’t have a nucleus inserted that a special piece of tissue or mantel. The mantel is a shaped piece of a mollusk’s shell. Its shape determines the shape of the pearl itself.

Pearls' surfaces can chip and they scratch rather easily, and the luster of pearls can easily be dulled by solvents, household cleaners, alcohol, many cosmetics and chlorine. Take care to wipe them with a soft cloth before putting them away and store them separate from other jewelry to avoid scratching their tender surfaces.