Friday 7 June 2013

Birthstone Unicorns - Pearl

Time to introduce you to the lovely Pearl, the traditional birthstone for the month of June. It also represents 30 years of marriage. A special gem because it is the only one of organic nature and not made by Mother Earth herself! The pearl is created from the secreted resin of the oyster or other shelled mollusc.

Pearls are the oldest known gem and for centuries the most valuable.

There are a number of legends surrounding this gem, for example, they have been called Aphrodite's tears of joy, Cleopatra's love potion and Krishna's wedding gift for his daughter. 

The verse from the Gregorian birthstone poem reads;

By her who in June was born
No gem save pearls shall be worn
They will ensure her constancy
True friendship and fidelity

Happy Birthday to all of you born this month. I have posted an extract from Pearl, The Birthstone Unicorn, click on the page tab above if you are interested.





And, as it's Friday, it is also time to thank Vikki for hosting this weekly meme where we can reflect on our small celebrations. This week I was pleased to be one of the co-hosts for IWSG. I read some great posts and have found some lovely new bloggers to follow. A massive thank you to all who visited my blog and left some amazingly kind and supportive words. I appreciate each and every one of you.

Happy Weekend to you all :)

39 comments:

  1. And I appreciate you co-hosting the IWSG!!

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  2. My mum has just had her birthday. Perhaps I should have bought her some pearls instead of a nightie and bath stuff *checks bank balance* Hmm, perhaps not :-P

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    1. Yeah, there is always a down side! I'm sure she liked a nightie just as much :)

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  3. I love pearls. Quality ones have such a glow to them. Thanks for all your work with IWSG. :)

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  4. I love pearls. They are so beautiful.

    Thanks for co-hosting IWSG! :)

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  5. Hi Suzanne .. pearls are beautiful aren't they - I hadn't realised this lore behind them - my father was June, but I don't think pearls would have suited him! They are beautiful aren't they ..

    Cheers and pearls in jewellery always give it that something extra .. Hilary

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    1. Probably is a girl thing really! Have a lovely weekend, Hilary :)

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  6. Whenever I think of pearls I think of sweater sets and tennis clubs- isn't that sad? Iive been brainwashed.

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  7. You did a wonderful job as co-host for IWSG. Lots of fun in that hop for sure this month. Today is my sister's birthday - so I'll definitely celebrate the pearl with you. She lives far away, but her text said she's got some nice plans to have a good time today.

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  8. Ahhh pearls! They are beautiful ;)

    I think you did great with the IWSG, it was my first time joining and I enjoyed it tremendously :D Happy weekend!

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  9. Never knew that about the gem, Aphrodite must have had many.

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  10. Love pearls. My youngest daughter's birthday is June 12th a great day for me and her. Good month.

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  11. Ooh congrats on the IWSG co hosting! :)

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  12. I bet hosting IWSG was super fun! I wish I was born in June, I love pearls.

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  13. Thank you everyone IWSG was a blast!

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  14. Supporting other writers and having your own writing supported is something to celebrate, indeed!

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  15. Pearls are beautiful. I never thought about them as not coming from the earth.

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  16. I love pearls, but I didn't know they were the birthstone for June. Good thing my birthday is in a different month!

    Happy Weekend :)

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  17. To me, a woman wearing a single strand of pearls around her neck = simple elegance! It's very effective.
    Have a great weekend!
    Writer In Transit

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  18. I love pearls, I wear a pearl ring on the little finger of my right hand.

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  19. New bloggers are always fun. Enjoy your weekend.

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  20. So what happens to an oyster and its pearl if it isn't taken to make jewellery?

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    1. I believe they are formed as a defence mechanism by the creature in response to a foreign body or other irritant entering their shell. The secretion is formed around the foreign body and that is how the pearl is formed. I'm not sure what happens if the pearl is not extracted, I guess it just remains inside. Although I am no expert on the process!

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  21. I bet you had a great time co-hosting, even if it is a lot of responsibility!

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  22. AND pearl also happens to be my favorite color. (Is that a cheat?)

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  23. I love reading these birthstone posts!

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  24. As a June baby myself I loved this post and found it very interesting. I'm getting married next year so I will make sure my fiancé buys me a nice large pearl in 31 years time!

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  25. Isn't amber in the same category of not being a rock? Or maybe that's not strictly a gem.

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    1. Good point, Patsy and the answer is I'm not totally sure how it is classified. I'll do some research. Amber is fossilised tree resin isn't it?

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    2. I've done a bit of research and a lot of information is quite technical, this link gave some good information though;
      http://list-of-birthstones.com/Amber.html.

      Still not 100% sure on the answer, but it would seem that it is of organic nature and a non crystalline structure. Amber is sometimes given as an alternative birthstone for the Taurus zodiac sign too.

      Thanks for raising this, Patsy I have learnt something new!

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  26. Greetings human, Suzanne,

    My human is still stuck at a red light and thus, rather late in the proceedings, I shall leave a comment on his behalf.

    My human and myself love your gem postings and a pearl of a posting this time.

    I've very aware you co-hosted the IWSG aka, "I Was Seeking Gary" :) I know he's truly flattered.

    Pawsitive wishes,

    Penny the Jack Russell dog and modest internet superstar!

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    1. We seek him here we seek him there! Thanks for dropping by, Penny and your pawsitive wishes.

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