June’s birthstone, the pearl, is surrounded by legends. One of our favorites is found in early Chinese myths, which depict pearls falling from the sky while dragons warred among the clouds. Who would guess that these little treasures grew inside something as unglamorous as a mollusk? Classic white pearls are the most traditional, especially when worn as a long string around the neck. They’re simple yet classy and go with almost anything. But if your tastes run to the more unusual, you can find pearls in gray, yellow, pink, peach and black, and in shapes besides round. If you have a June baby in your life, pearl earrings are a timeless accessory. At Van Scoy, we have a darling little starter pair for girls set in 14K yellow gold. For the grown-up June baby on your list, the Honora basics -- a pair of 14K gold earrings with small diamonds on 8mm freshwater cultured pearls -- are very pretty. Pearls are also the traditional gift for a first wedding anniversary. Your pearls share a long international history with the pearls that came before. Pearls are mostly associated with Japan and China, but were also favorites of the ancient Romans and Egyptians. Persians and Indians wore them, too. The original pearls were created naturally as an oyster’s repsonse to an irritant. Later, humans figured out how to purposely irritate oysters and voila, the cultured pearl industry was born. As China has taken the lead in cultured pearl production in recent years, the price has come down. Pearl farmers also work in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, Burma and Australia. A few more fun facts about pearls:

• Pearls are associated with truth, health, friendship, loyalty, chastity, modesty, courage and faithfulness
• Pearls are said to have healing properties for troubles with the spleen, intestines, heart, and stomach. They’re the perfect get well gift for someone suffering from ulcers!
• Pearls are believed to enhance your integrity.
• Romans wore pearls to gain the favor of the goddess Isis