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If you were born in June, your birthstone isn't mined from the earth — it's grown inside a living creature. That makes the pearl unlike any other gem in the world. No faceting required. No heat treatment needed. The ocean (or a freshwater lake) does all the work, and what emerges is something so naturally perfect that humans have coveted it for over 4,000 years.
This June, we're taking a deep dive into the pearl — its ancient history, the iconic women who made it famous, and why it remains one of the most timeless choices in fine jewelry today.
A pearl forms when an irritant — a grain of sand, a parasite, even a fragment of shell — enters a mollusk and the creature responds by coating it in layer after layer of nacre, the same iridescent material that lines the inside of the shell. Over months and years, those layers build into the lustrous gem we know.
Natural pearls, formed entirely by chance in the wild, are extraordinarily rare today. Almost all pearls available now are cultured — meaning a skilled technician introduces the irritant by hand, and the mollusk does the rest. Cultured pearls were pioneered in Japan in the early 20th century, largely by Mikimoto Kōkichi, who changed the jewelry world forever by making pearls accessible to more than just royalty.
Pearls come in a stunning range of varieties:
The pearl's story is as deep as the sea itself.
Ancient Persia and the Gulf — Some of the earliest pearl fisheries known to archaeology were in the Persian Gulf, where divers risked their lives plunging to the ocean floor in search of oysters. Persian royalty adorned themselves in pearls as symbols of divine favor and wealth. Ancient texts describe pearls as "daughters of the moon," believing they formed when drops of moonlight fell into the sea.
Ancient Rome — Julius Caesar was so obsessed with pearls that Roman historians claimed one of his motivations for invading Britain was to secure its freshwater pearl supply. Roman law at one point actually restricted pearl jewelry to the ruling classes — a decree that tells you everything about how precious they were considered.
Ancient China — In China, pearls were believed to fall from the sky during battles between dragons. They were prescribed in traditional medicine, ground into powder as a treatment for everything from heart ailments to skin conditions. Pearl powder remains a popular skincare ingredient to this day.
Ancient India — Hindu texts describe the god Krishna discovering the first pearl and presenting it to his daughter on her wedding day — making pearls one of the oldest recorded bridal gems in human history. The Arthashastra, an ancient Indian treatise on statecraft, has entire chapters dedicated to the proper grading and valuation of pearls.
The Renaissance and Baroque eras — Pearls hit their European peak during the 16th and 17th centuries. Portraits of Queen Elizabeth I of England show her literally covered in them — her dresses, collars, and hair all dripping with pearls as a deliberate symbol of purity, power, and wealth. The word "baroque" itself is believed by some etymologists to derive from the Portuguese barroco, meaning an irregularly shaped pearl.
Pearls have a way of finding their way into the stories of the world's most fascinating women.
Cleopatra — One of history's most famous pearl stories involves Cleopatra. According to the ancient Roman writer Pliny the Elder, she wagered Marc Antony that she could host the most expensive dinner in history. When the meal was served, she removed one of her pearl earrings — said to be the largest pearls in the world at the time — dissolved it in a glass of vinegar, and drank it. Whether the science holds up (it does, actually — acid dissolves calcium carbonate), the story has endured for two millennia as the ultimate flex.
Mary Queen of Scots — Mary owned a legendary strand of black pearls that became the subject of royal intrigue and were ultimately seized by her rival, Queen Elizabeth I, after Mary's execution. The pearls appeared in portraits of Elizabeth not long after.
La Peregrina — This pear-shaped natural pearl was discovered in the 16th century in the waters off Panama, given to Philip II of Spain, and passed through the hands of European royalty for centuries. In 1969, Richard Burton purchased it at auction for Elizabeth Taylor as a Valentine's Day gift. Taylor wore it with a Van Cleef & Arpels necklace of rubies and diamonds, and when she died, it sold at auction for nearly $12 million.
Coco Chanel — Chanel transformed the pearl from a symbol of formal aristocracy into an emblem of effortless Parisian chic. She famously mixed faux and real pearls together without apology, stacking strands and layering them over casual outfits in a way that scandalized traditionalists and delighted everyone else. "A woman needs ropes and ropes of pearls," she once said.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis — Jackie's three-strand faux pearl necklace became one of the most recognized pieces of jewelry in American history. When her estate was auctioned at Sotheby's in 1996, that simple costume piece sold for $211,500 — 211 times its pre-sale estimate — because of the woman who wore it.
Princess Diana — Diana had an extraordinary pearl collection, including the iconic pearl and sapphire choker she famously wore as a headband at a 1985 gala — a moment that redefined how an entire generation thought about pearl jewelry.
Mikimoto himself — Worth a mention: Mikimoto Kōkichi, the Japanese entrepreneur who created the cultured pearl industry, was so proud of his work that when Japanese authorities at one point questioned the authenticity of cultured pearls, he reportedly burned two million of his own pearls in a public bonfire to make the point that he'd rather destroy them than have their reputation questioned.
In the language of gems, pearls have carried consistent symbolism across nearly every culture that encountered them: purity, wisdom, and new beginnings. They are the only gem associated with water and the moon, giving them a quiet, luminous feminine energy that other stones don't quite match.
Pearls are also traditionally associated with the 30th wedding anniversary — making them a deeply meaningful choice not just for June birthdays, but for milestone celebrations of any kind.
When shopping for pearl jewelry, here's what to look for:
Luster is the single most important quality factor. The best pearls have a deep, almost mirror-like reflective quality where you can see your own blurry reflection on the surface. Dull, chalky pearls — no matter their size — are considered lower quality.
Surface quality matters too. Minor surface characteristics are normal and expected in natural and cultured pearls, but excessive pitting, cracking, or discoloration affects both beauty and durability.
Shape is a matter of preference. Round pearls are classic and command the highest prices, but baroque (irregular) and drop-shaped pearls have a romantic, organic quality that many people prefer — and they're often more affordable.
Color goes far beyond white. Pearls come in rose, cream, silver, gold, lavender, and the dramatic dark tones of Tahitian varieties. Choose based on skin tone and personal style: warm skin tones tend to glow next to gold-toned or cream pearls; cooler complexions are often flattered by white, silver, or rose-tinted stones.
Pearls are softer than most gems — they sit at just 2.5–4.5 on the Mohs scale — so they require a little extra care.
If you know a June birthday girl (or boy — pearls look extraordinary on everyone), pearl jewelry is one of those rare gifts that bridges the gap between personal and timeless. A pair of pearl studs in gold settings is at home everywhere from a beach brunch to a black-tie dinner. A pearl pendant is the kind of piece a daughter will eventually inherit from her mother.
At Gemma's Jewelers, we carry pearl jewelry across styles, metals, and price points — and our team can help you find the perfect piece whether you're celebrating a birthday, an anniversary, or just treating yourself to something beautiful.
Come visit us at any of our three Southern California locations — Rancho Cucamonga, Eastvale, and Mission Viejo — and let us help you find the pearl piece that's right for you. Questions? Contact us here.
