According to legend, if you were born in the month of June, then there are five birthstones and birth flowers which bring you good luck! (In fact, June has more of these than any other month!) Read on to learn more!
Hey, Christie!
Jason and I are so excited to be getting married at Ainsworth House & Gardens!
We love our moms! Since both of them were born in June, are there things like gems or flowers which represent the month? Do these have any interesting meanings? Thanks!
–Freya, Floored by Flowers in Forest Grove, Oregon
Hey, Freya!
I love your questions! Yes, there are birthstones and birth flowers for June. June has more of them than any other month!
According to custom, a birthstone is selected for those born in a specific month. Wearing the birthstone is believed to bring the person born in that month prosperity, health, and good luck. Let’s discover what June has in store for you!
June Birthstones: Pearl, Moonstone, and Alexandrite
Pearl
Of the three, the pearl is the best known June birthstone. Out of all 12 months, the pearl is the only birth gem which is organic: a pearl is created when a mollusk builds a coating around a foreign object. Depending on factors, the pearl can range in color from milky white to pink to dark blue to black.
What does a pearl symbolize or mean?
From ancient times, pearls symbolized purity, integrity, and fidelity.
Portraits of royalty (such as Queen Elizabeth I of England) show the person wearing pearls as jewelry and sewn into their clothes to represent their purity and integrity. (This is a portrait of Princess Elizabeth, daughter of King Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. The princess grew up to become Queen Elizabeth I of England.)
To show their purity and innocence, brides often wear pearls either as jewelry or sewn into their dresses.
For those celebrating their first, third, or 30th. wedding anniversaries, pearl jewelry is the traditional gift.
How did we get the word “pearl” for our use?
Derived from the Latin word, “pirum,” which means “pear,” the word refers to the shape of pearls.
Moonstone
What colors could a Moonstone be?
A Moonstone could be transparent or be white, yellowish, green, gray, or nearly black and have a shimmer of blue, white, or silver depending on the stone.
With its ethereal moon-like shimmer, the Moonstone is considered sacred by certain cultures; often it is used as a spiritual or dream stone.
Where is Moonstone mined?
Sri Lanka and Myanmar (previously called “Burma”) are two primary producers with smaller deposits found in the US, Norway, Switzerland, Brazil, Mexico, India, Madagascar, and Tanzania.
Alexandrite
People born in June are born under one of two astrological signs: Gemini (May 22 – Jun 21) or Cancer (Jun 22 – Jul 22). As the birthstone of Gemini, Alexandrite is the birthstone for June!
Like the Gemini twins, Alexandrite has two distinct personalities. During daylight, Alexandrite is blue-green. Under artificial light, it is a reddish-purple!
A rare birth gem, it can be pricey. For that reason, most Alexandrite is created in a lab with the exact same chemical composition and color changing abilities as natural Alexandrite—and just as gorgeous!
June Birth Flowers: Rose & Honeysuckle
Since both flowers reach the peak of their blooming season in June, they are the birth flowers for the sixth month of the year!
Rose
When someone wanted to convey a secret message to the person whom they adored, they selected a rose of a specific color: A white rose meant a pure love while a red rose conveyed a passionate love.
Roses are ubiquitous throughout time and space. Fossils found in Colorado indicate that roses existed as much as 35,000,000 years ago. About 5,000 years ago, the Chinese began cultivating roses to improve the plants.
Roses bloom in white, yellow, peach, pink, red, and many other colors.
Roses are ubiquitous throughout time and space. Fossils found in Colorado indicate that roses existed as much as 35,000,000 years ago. About 5,000 years ago, the Chinese began cultivating roses to improve the plants. While many are native to Asia, roses flourish in Europe, North America, and Northwest Africa.
Of the more than 100 species of roses, there are three main categories of roses:
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Species Roses developed naturally over time.
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Old Garden Roses were developed by cultivation before the 1860s.
Modern Roses were developed since the 1860s from descendants of both Species and Old Garden Roses.
What does a rose mean or symbolize?
The rose is a symbol of affection, love, and beauty. In addition, each color has its own meaning:
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White rose: purity and innocence
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Pink rose: admiration and happiness
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Yellow rose: happiness and cheerfulness*
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Some believe that a yellow rose signals jealousy.
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Orange rose: excitement and desire
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Red rose: romance, conveys “I love you”
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A white and red rose together represents unity.
Quick facts:
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During the Roman Empire, rose petals were used as confetti. Roses were used as perfume, for medicinal purposes, and to make rooms more pleasant in which to dwell.
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To woo Mark Anthony, Cleopatra filled a room more than one foot deep with rose petals.
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The oldest, continuous blooming rose may be over 1,000 years old. Founded in 815 by King Louis the Pious (son of Charlemagne), the Hildesheim Cathedral has been continuously used for Catholic masses. However, no one is quite sure when the rose was planted–there are several legends. Currently growing outside the cathedral’s apse, this wild dog rose soars over 69 ft. high and is 30 ft. wide. This rose is incredibly hardy to have survived wars, droughts, and all manner of abuse. In fact, while bombing during World War II severely damaged the cathedral, the roots of the rose survived! Amidst the church’s smoldering ruins, the rose bloomed again! (See image to the right.)
Roses, English history, and Game of Thrones: In the 15th. century, two English royal families, the Lancasters and the Yorks, were represented by a red rose (Lancaster) and a white rose (York). When the two families fought to rule, the battles were called “The War of the Roses.” (If the names look familiar, GoT fans, that’s because they were changed to Lannisters and Starks.)
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During the 1600s, you could pay your bills with roses because roses were legal tender!
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One of our staff, Kathy, pointed out that her ancestor, President John Adams, the first president to reside at the White House, was the first person to plant roses there. (That’s him!) The Rose Garden is still used for outdoor events by the current president over 200 years later!
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Roses are so popular with Americans that they are the National Floral Emblem of the United States.
Honeysuckle
Blooming in white, yellow, orange, pink, red, and purple, honeysuckle attracts hummingbirds! Native to North America, honeysuckle can also be found in Asia and Europe.
What does the “honeysuckle” mean?
The tubular flower represents affection for a new love, positive energy, and happiness.
How was the word “honeysuckle” derived?
It is thought that the word derives from the Middle English word, “honeysouke,” which means “honey suck.”
This refers to the ability of anyone to easily drink sweet nectar straight from the flowers.
Quick facts:
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The Druids, the high ranking priestly class of the ancient Celts, used a drawing of honeysuckle in their alphabet to convey happiness and joy.
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In traditional medicine, honeysuckle treated digestive disorders, respiratory illnesses, arthritis, rashes, skin problems, headaches, and snakebites.
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In Chinese medicine, honeysuckle is used to remove toxins.
Roses and/or honeysuckle can be added to any wedding bouquet or floral arrangement.
If you have any additional questions, please ask me!
Your friend in the wedding business,
Christie Shyne
Images are courtesy of Pixabay.com.
June image is courtesy of Eastern Wisconsin Real Estate blog.
Portrait of Princess Elizabeth and her pearls courtesy of TudorDynasty.com.
Image of Alexandrite is courtesy of Diamonddrensu.com.
Image of Old Garden Roses is courtesy of GardeningKnowHow.com.
Image of Lancaster and York roses courtesy of WorldAtlas.com.
Image of Hildesheim Cathedral’s rose bush is courtesy of Wikipedia.
Portrait of President John Adams is courtesy of Getty Images.
Images below here are from the A1insworth House & Gardens wedding gallery.
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