June

PRIMARY: PEARL

Pearl, the primary June birthstone, is a semi-precious to precious gemstone with a hardness level only between 3.0 and 4.0.

Pearls are the only organic birthstone, and due to their unique nature, including the fact that they are also the softest birthstone, they require special care and handling. Many everyday chemicals, such as hairspray, perfume, silver polish and other cosmetics, can damage pearls irreparably. Additionally, pearls are vulnerable to cracking and crushing.

Before the modern era of pearl farming, pearls were very rare and incredibly valuable, and even today, a high-quality natural pearl (as opposed to a cultured pearl, one that comes from a farm) can be considered a precious gemstone instead of semi-precious.

So how do you distinguish a cultured pearl from a natural one? The only way to tell is by x-ray. As for picking a real pearl from a fake, simply rub it against your teeth. Faux pearls are smooth as class (because they are glass) while real pearls are rough.

Alternate: Moonstone - "The stone of wishes and new beginnings"

Moonstone, the alternate June birthstone, is an ornamental gemstone with a hardness level of 6.0. Moonstone is a translucent, milky form of feldspar and fairly common in the modern era. It comes in plain, blue, orange, and an iridescent form called rainbow moonstone.