The month of June marks the month of the Pearl. Boston Ring and Jewel have a vast array of pearl pendants, bracelets, necklaces, and more. Here are some interesting fact about this beautiful and mysterious gem.

• Pearls are the only gemstone made by living animals.
• Pearls take their color from the inside of the shell in which they are growing. They range from white to gold, and from purple to black.
• The oldest known pearl jewelry fragment was found in the sarcophagus of a Persian princess who died in 520 BC.
• The name Margarita means ‘pearls’. Other names such as Margaret, Peggy, Marjorie, Margot, Maggie, Gretchen, Gretal and Rita also mean ‘pearl’ and signify purity, innocence, humility and sweetness.
• The Persian Gulf was one of the main sources of natural pearls for centuries, as were Venezuela & Panama where pearls were discovered by Christopher Columbus and Vasco de Balboa on their travels.
• One of the most famous pearls in the world is called La Peregrina (‘the incomparable’) and was found in the Americas. It is pear shaped and the size of a pigeon’s egg. Famous owners of this pearl have included Philip II of Spain, Mary Tudor of England and Napoleon III. The last owner is believed to be Elizabeth Taylor.