Ten Facts about Pearl, June's birthstone

Joanne Tinley Author

Elegant and timeless, pearls have been prized for thousands of years.

Pearls are a timeless classic gemstone, and they have been making beautiful jewellery for much longer than you may realise!

Read on to discover more about their history and how they are formed.

1. A natural pearl of value is found in less than 1 in every 10,000 wild oysters. Pearl oysters are also used for their shell (known as mother-of-pearl) and their meat.

2. All pearl oysters are born male and transform into females at around three years of age.

3. There are three major types of saltwater cultured pearls: Akoya, Tahitian and South Sea. These pearls account for approximately 5% of the total weight of global pearl production. Although they share many of the same characteristics, they can look vastly different as each pearl is sourced from a different species of oyster. These oceanic oysters typically grow only one pearl at a time.

4.  Freshwater pearls account for approximately 95% of total global pearl production but are much less valuable than saltwater pearls. China produces the overwhelming majority of freshwater pearls in pearl farms that may range from a farmer's fishpond to massive lakes filled with over a million mussels.

5.  A single freshwater mussel will typically produce between 30 and 50 pearls at a time.

6. Even with cultivation practices, South Sea pearls are incredibly rare. By way of comparison, the weight of diamond production each year is about 10 times greater than the weight of the annual Australian South Sea pearls harvest.

7.  The earliest record we have of pearls as precious objects are artefacts from Mesopotamia dated to around 2300 B.C. Recently, a two thousand year old pearl was found in an Australian Aboriginal archaeological dig in the Kimberley region of Western Australia.

8.  Julius Caesar decreed that only rulers of Ancient Rome were allowed to wear pearls. The Romans considered pearls to be a symbol of wealth and prestige, making them a strong indication of social class, and so Caesar wanted to ensure that they were reserved for those of the highest class only.

9. In the early days, pearl divers regularly faced the threat of shark attacks as well as the dreaded crippling effects of the bends with every dive. In the late 19th Century and early 20th Century, the mortality rate for divers was as high as 50 per cent. Today, there are strict protocols and regulations regarding occupational diving to reduce these risks.

10. Due to how they are formed, pearls are the only non-vegan birthstone - something to bear in mind if you are birthday present shopping! You may want to choose one of June's two alternative birthstones instead, alexandrite and moonstone.

11. And a lastly bonus fact for you... La Peregrina (Spanish for ‘the incomparable’) is one of the most famous pearls in the world. The 500-year-old pearl is pear shaped and the size of a large pigeon’s egg. Its previous owners included a King of Spain, Napoleon Bonaparte and Elizabeth Taylor.

Want to find out more about pearls and birthstones?

Here are some useful blog posts and tutorials.

Why do we have birthstones and what do they mean?	Dancing Pearls Earrings Tutorial	Ten facts about Peridot, August's birthstone
Magical healing powers, good luck charms - or plain old marketing? Find out the origin of birthstones.	A modern twist on the classic pearl earrings this project will teach you how to set half-drilled pearls to create a beautiful pair of earrings with silver discs dancing above them!	Beautiful fresh green Peridot is one of only two gemstones created deep inside the earth.

Categories: : birthstones, did you know, jewellery facts