Cancer's astrological gem is the PEARL.

Pearls are beautiful jewels that are created inside of living creatures. Pearls form inside of oysters, beginning as a grain of sand. The oyster's reaction to this irritant is to coat the sand with layers of a natural substance, and it eventually forms a pearl.

The pearl is a classic piece of jewelry, and is seen as very sophisticated. The price of pearls vary widely, depending on their luster, size, how they were grown (naturally or cultured), color and type. Natural pearls are the most expensive, followed by cultured pearls. Fresh water pearls tend to be relatively inexpensive.

Pearls are said to help a person see herself and others truly, and help improve her self-worth. Giving a loved one a gift of natural pearls is one of the nicest gifts one can give, because it allows the wearer to see the love of the person who gave them the pearls. The Pearl symbolizes love, success, and happiness. In olden times, it was an emblem of modesty and purity. Because of this, and because they symbolize a happy marriage, in many countries pearls are given as a wedding gift.

Pearls in Legend:
Pearls were once thought to be the tears of God. The ancient Greeks believed that wearing pearls would promote marital bliss and prevent newlywed women from crying. During the Crusades in the Middle Ages, pearls were the gift of choice for a knight to give to his lady. During the 14th and 15th centuries, royal wedding scenes closely resembled a sea of pearls, with everyone from the bride down to her male guests adorned with impressive arrays of pearl jewelry. In modern times, cultured pearls have graced such 20th century brides as Queen Elizabeth II, the late Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis and Elizabeth Taylor.