Birthstone Friday — Pearls: Gemstone of the Senses

Pearls. The birthstone for June. The most sensuous, the most glorious, the most feminine gemstone of all. Other gems have to be fashioned in some way, but pearls are perfect just as they are. They’re exquisite water-borne gifts of seas, lakes and rivers.

Pearls are an appropriate choice for one of the most luscious months of the year. Breezes scented with flowers and damp soil. Morning skies delicately colored like pearls. The soft touch of blossoms like the skin of pearls. Pearls, too, gratify all the senses.

Pearls just glow. They’re not flashy, like faceted gemstones. They’re simply quietly commanding. In the white to cream-colored oceanic oyster pearls most of us are familiar with, there is a translucency, a sense that you can almost, but not quite, see into them. This is especially true of natural pearls, the now-exceedingly-rare gems that were found in the mollusks of the Indian Ocean. I’ve only been lucky enough to see these as tiny seed pearls in antique jewelry. And perhaps it was because of their tiny size, but they seemed to hold light inside of them, like the nacre surface was just a shell surrounding tiny candles.

The sound of a strand of pearls—as they move or as you play with them–can be hypnotic. The soft, sibilant clicking as they rub against each other. A delicate reminder of the preciousness of the ancient gemstones you’re wearing.

And play with them you will. The touch of pearls is truly like silk. Like warm soft skin. Pearls demand to be touched. Held. Fondled. A strand of pearls is an elegant and erotic toy. Maybe that is why seduction can effectively involve pearls, teeth, and sultry looks.

As for taste: the strand of chocolate-colored Tahitian pearls from Eve J. Alfillé’s Gallery & Studio in Evanston, Illinois, look good enough to eat.

I have to admit that pearls do not have a scent. Unless, of course, you are the one to open the oyster and find the treasure.

Happy June.