June Birthstone: Pearl, Alexandrite & Moonstone

If you have a June birthday, or you are shopping for someone who does, the June birthstone question has an unusually generous answer. The June birthstones are pearl, alexandrite, and moonstone. Pearl is the traditional pick, alexandrite is the rare color changer, and moonstone is the affordable everyday option. We source all three, so here is how we help you choose.

The three stones at a glance

Pearl and moonstone both appeared on the first standardized American birthstone list in 1912. Alexandrite joined in 1952, when the US jewelry trade revised the list. That is why every modern birthstone chart lists three birthstones for June instead of one. Wear whichever suits you, or mix all three.

Pearl is the only gem grown inside a living creature. A mollusk coats an irritant in layer after layer of nacre, and that nacre gives a pearl its glow.

• Hardness: 2.5 to 3 on the Mohs scale, the softest gem you will wear
  
  

• Meaning: purity, humility, and honesty
  
  

• Anniversary: 3rd and 30th
  
  

• Care: put pearls on last and take them off first. Wipe them with a damp cloth, and keep perfume, hairspray, and ultrasonic cleaners away.

Alexandrite is a chrysoberyl that reads green in daylight and turns raspberry red under lamplight. Miners found it in Russia's Ural Mountains in 1830, and it carries the name of Tsar Alexander II. At 8.5 on the Mohs scale, it handles a ring you wear every day. It also marks the 55th anniversary. One honest note: natural alexandrite is almost never available in bead form, so we do not stock it. Most alexandrite sold anywhere today is lab-grown.

Moonstone is a feldspar prized for adularescence, the drifting blue-white light that floats just under the surface. The finest material comes from India and Sri Lanka. When we grade moonstone rough, we tilt every piece under a single light. Real adularescence moves across the stone, while a coated imitation holds the same flat shine. At 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, it needs gentler care than alexandrite, so use warm soapy water and skip the ultrasonic cleaner. It marks the 13th anniversary.

That color depends on which stone you pick. Pearl runs white, cream, pink, silver, gold, and black. Alexandrite shifts from bluish green to purplish red. Moonstone stays translucent white with a floating blue sheen. If you need one shade to stand for all of June's birthstones on a chart or a gift tag, soft white is the safe default.

Think about wear first. Pearl suits, earrings, and necklaces that stay off your hands. Alexandrite handles rings and daily knocks. Moonstone looks its best in pendants and strung beads. When customers ask us where to start, we suggest a strand of moonstone beads finished with a few pearls. That gives you two of June's birthstones in one piece without a big spend.

All three are official. Pearl is the oldest and most widely recognized, so it is the safest gift if you are unsure.

Moonstone, by a wide margin. Natural alexandrite is the priciest of the June birthstones, often more per carat than diamond.

Pearl and moonstone. People born June 1 through June 20 fall under Gemini, and both stones suit it. From June 21 onward, the sign is Cancer, which pairs especially well with moonstone.

Briefly, yes. Rinse and dry them quickly. Long soaks, chlorine, and hot water dull the nacre over time.

Ready to build something? Explore our moonstone beads and pearl strands, and pick the stone that fits the person.

• January Birthstone

• February Birthstone

• March Birthstone

• April Birthstone

• May Birthstone

• July Birthstone

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• September Birthstone

• October Birthstone

• November Birthstone

• December Birthstone