Why Does June Have Three Birthstones?

June marks the start of summer. But the scorching heat wave is not the only thing it brings with it. June also brings you not one, not two, but three birthstones! Yes, you got that right! June babies are lucky enough to choose anything from alexandrite, moonstone, and pearl, as these are the three birthstones of June.

But have you ever wondered why June has three birthstones? If you are curious about it, let's unravel this mystery together!

Unraveling Why June Has 3 Birthstones

Did you know that June initially had only one birthstone? Pearl was the original birthstone for this month, however, this gemstone became exceedingly rare. That's why it became necessary to find another birthstone for this month. 

Moonstone eventually came to be known as the June birthstone, and later on, alexandrite was also included in this list. December is another month that has three birthstones for the same reason. 

While pearl is a popular gem, most people haven't heard much about moonstones and real alexandrite gems. If you are a June born and unfamiliar with these gemstones, let's learn a little about them!

Alexandrite Gemstone

Alexandrite goes by many names, such as a two-in-one gemstone, chamaeleon stone, as well as the 'emerald by day and ruby by night' gemstone. 

It looks to be an exquisite shade of green in the daytime (or natural night) and exhibits a red to purplish red hue at night (or in artificial light). The presence of irregularities from the trace element chromium is responsible for alexandrite having this unique color change property. 

Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Brazil, Madagascar, and Tanzania are a few places where alexandrite stones can be found.

Alexandrite belongs to the chrysoberyl family and contains oxygen, beryllium, and aluminum. It has a considerable hardness rating of 8.5 on the Mohs scale, which makes it a great choice for jewelry. 

Moonstone

If you are a fan of The Vampires Diary, you might have heard about the moonstone. But sorry to break your bubble, this moonstone won't help you break any werewolf curse!

Moonstone gets its name from the blue-white specks that it contains, which emit a silvery hue like the moonlight when you hold the gemstone up to the light. 

Moonstones have rays that when moved, give the impression of bouncing around, just like moonbeams do when they hit bodies of water. 

Moonstones are a member of the feldspar mineral family. These silicate minerals are commonly present in rocks. The earth's crust contains feldspar to a degree of about 50%. A significant portion of soil and marine clay contains this mineral, which is present in both igneous and metamorphic rocks. 

It has a Mohs scale hardness rating of 6 to 6.5 and can be found in India, Madagascar, the Alps, and Sri Lanka. 

Parting Thoughts

Now that you know what June's birthstones are and why there are three birthstones for this month, you are ready to get your own birthstone jewelry! You can find stunning alexandrite gemstone jewelry at GemsNY!