The stone of the month for June is the Pearl, it is also the traditional birthstone. Gems N' Loans has a large selection of Pearls at any of our four locations. Pearls come in a range of natural colors and shades including white, pink, lilac, cream, grey, black and gold. The traditional color associated with the Pearl is the milky white color, which was strongly favored as a popular gem in Victorian jewelry.
Pearls are found inside the shell of a mollusk such as an oyster or clam. Natural Pearls are either saltwater found in gulfs, seas and oceans or freshwater pearls found in rivers and lakes. Cultured pearls are produced when man has introduced an irritant into the mollusk - these are called imitation pearls.
Pearls come from all over the world like the Persian Gulf, the Gulf of Mannar, the South Pacific, the Gulf of California, the Gulf of Mexico, the Pacific coast of Mexico, Europe, Japan and Australia. A good sized pearl can take between five to eight years to form, which is usually the entire life of the oyster or mollusk. The cost depends on the size and the coating, or “nacre”, on a real pearl which gives it its iridescence.
