June Birthstone and Birth Flower: Pearl, Alexandrite & Moonstone
June's three birthstones and two birth flowers: what each one is, how hard it is and which to choose.
Born in June? You get three birthstones and two birth flowers. The June birthstones are pearl (the traditional one), alexandrite (a rare gem that changes color) and moonstone (a soft, glowing feldspar). The birth flowers are the rose and the honeysuckle.
- Birthstones
- Pearl, alexandrite, moonstone
- Birth flowers
- Rose, honeysuckle
- Zodiac
- Gemini to June 20, Cancer from June 21
- Hardest stone
- Alexandrite, 8.5 on the Mohs scale
- Softest stone
- Pearl, about 2.5 to 4
What are June's birth flowers?
Ask for the June birth flower and you get two answers: the rose first, the honeysuckle second. Both have long been tied to June because that is when they reach their peak.
June's two birth flowers
Rose
June's main birth flower
By tradition: love and beauty.
Engraving after P. J. Redouté, 1817 to 1824. Cleveland Museum of Art, CC0. Cropped.
Honeysuckle
June's second birth flower
By tradition: happiness and affection for a new love.
Watercolor by Barend Hendrik Thier, 1750 to 1811. Rijksmuseum, CC0. Cropped.
Source: Two museum works in the public domain, shown as period documents.
The rose
By tradition a rose says love and beauty, and its color fine-tunes the message: red for romance, pink for happiness and admiration, white for innocence and purity. Giving it with a pearl? Take the white rose. The rose itself is a woody flowering shrub, and most species are native to Asia.
The honeysuckle
The second birth flower climbs: honeysuckles are vines and shrubs of the Northern Hemisphere, with fragrant tubular flowers. Tradition gives them happiness and affection for a new love.
Why does June have two birth flowers?
Because nobody keeps a single list. Cultures do not all agree on which flower goes with which month, and some flowers are not available in every region, so the usual lists name two: a primary flower and a secondary one.
What are June's three birthstones?
Pearl, alexandrite, moonstone: the three June birthstones share almost nothing. One forms in a mollusk, one changes color, one glows. Tap the map to see which takes daily wear.
Three June stones, three ways to wear them
Hardness is resistance to scratches, toughness is resistance to knocks. A ring needs both.
Touch a point to read about the stone.
Pearl Mohs 2.5 to 4 · Toughness: Usually good, but variable
2.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale: very soft and easily scratched. Earrings, a pendant or a pin.
Moonstone Mohs 6 to 6.5 · Toughness: Poor, because of cleavage
6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, and it can split along its cleavage. Earrings, a pendant, or occasional wear.
Alexandrite Mohs 8.5 · Toughness: Excellent
8.5 on the Mohs scale, excellent toughness, no cleavage: a good choice for a ring worn daily.
| Stone | Mohs | Toughness |
|---|---|---|
| 1Pearl2.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale: very soft and easily scratched. Earrings, a pendant or a pin. | 2.5 to 4 | Usually good, but variable |
| 2Moonstone6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, and it can split along its cleavage. Earrings, a pendant, or occasional wear. | 6 to 6.5 | Poor, because of cleavage |
| 3Alexandrite8.5 on the Mohs scale, excellent toughness, no cleavage: a good choice for a ring worn daily. | 8.5 | Excellent |
Points that would overlap are moved apart a little. The exact values are in the table.
Toughness has no number: it is rated in words. Inclusions, fractures or some treatments lower it for any single stone.
Source: Hardness and toughness as published in standard gemology references, checked on October 9, 2026.
Pearl
A pearl is organic: it forms inside a mollusk, layer by layer, as nacre. It is the softest June birthstone, about 2.5 to 4 on the Mohs scale, and your routine can hurt it: acids, perfume, hair spray and even perspiration can damage a pearl's nacre. So put it on last, after your cosmetics, and wipe it with a soft cloth afterwards.
Alexandrite
Green to bluish green in daylight, red to purplish red under incandescent light: alexandrite is the June birthstone that changes color with the lamp. It is a rare variety of chrysoberyl, and the sturdy one of the three: 8.5 on the Mohs scale, excellent toughness, no cleavage. That makes it the hardest June stone and the one for a ring you wear every day. The first major deposits were found in Russia's Ural Mountains in 1830; today Sri Lanka is a major source, along with Brazil. Switch the light on one we sold.
One alexandrite, two lights
Only the hue changes. The light changes, the stone does not.
Two separate photographs of the same stone, cut out on the same grey ground and set to the same size.
When I was starting out, at a gem fair, an alexandrite would not change color. Then someone held a halogen lamp close to it, and it turned. I did not understand what I was seeing.
Ask whether a stone is natural or lab-grown: our guide to natural vs lab-grown alexandrite shows what to look for.
Moonstone
Tilt a moonstone and a soft blue-white light seems to float under its surface. That glow is adularescence, and the stone is a feldspar. At 6 to 6.5 on the Mohs scale, and because it cleaves, it wants a protective setting. India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka are among its sources. Ours were sold as rainbow moonstone, the trade name of a labradorite feldspar that shows several colors.
Which June stone should you choose?
| If you want | Choose |
|---|---|
| A ring or bracelet worn every day | Alexandrite |
| A pendant or earrings, worn with care | Pearl or moonstone |
| A soft glow, in a protective setting | Moonstone |
June 6 or June 29, same answer: birthstone lists follow the month, not the day, so all three are yours. Only the zodiac looks at the date: Gemini runs May 21 to June 20 and Cancer June 21 to July 22. For the other months, see the birthstone chart by month and zodiac sign.
Quick answers
What are the three birthstones for June?
What is the official June birth flower?
What color is the June birthstone?
Conclusion
Pearl if you want soft and classic, moonstone for its glow, alexandrite if the stone has to live on your hand every day.
We have no June stone in our catalog today. Tell us which one you want and we look for it.
