Peridot – the sun's gemstone
Peridot has been mined for over 3,500 years and was – and still is – used primarily for jewelry. The ancient Egyptians obtained this gemstone from deposits on a small volcanic island in the Red Sea. The island was called Topazios and is now known as St. John's Island or Zabargad.
In ancient Egypt, peridot was also called the “gemstone of the sun”. It was believed that the stone would protect its wearer from the horrors of the night.
Origin of the name: gemstone that gives abundance
It is not known for sure where the name “peridot” comes from. It is thought to come from the Arabic “faridat” for “precious stone”. Another assumption is that the name comes from the Greek term “peridona”, which means “giving abundance”. Perhaps this is why this gemstone was seen as a symbol of prosperity and good luck.
Peridot: green, shiny gemstone
In the Middle Ages, the green stone was repeatedly confused with emerald. For example, 200-carat gems in Cologne Cathedral were long thought to be emeralds. In fact, they are peridot.
From today's perspective, emerald and peridot don't have much in common. Although both stones are green, they differ in their shade of green. In addition, peridot has a high refractive index and is therefore characterized by its brilliance.
It is a bright green. The color shades can range from pale golden green to brownish reddish green, with the most popular color being a rich green. Thanks to its high refractive index, it displays a brilliant, lemon-green shine depending on the angle and light.
Thanks to its beautiful color and brilliance, some claim that it is currently undervalued and could increase in value in the future.
From Arizona to Pakistan – the places where peridot comes from
In the 1990s, new peridot deposits were discovered in Pakistan. The highest quality peridots ever found come from there. Some of them were even over 100 carats.
Most peridots, however, are mined on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation in Arizona. Other peridot deposits are found in China, South Africa, Norway, Australia, Myanmar and the United States.
Buy peridot for jewelry
Peridot is mainly used for jewelry. You can also have your peridot from the Igneous Gemstone Shop made into a unique piece of jewelry by your goldsmith. Peridot can be used for a ring, a bracelet or a necklace.
It can be combined with other peridot stones or with small diamonds. Silver, white, red or yellow gold are suitable for the setting. What the piece of jewelry will ultimately look like depends entirely on your ideas and the creativity of your goldsmith.
According to the American Gem Society, the peridot is the birthstone of August. However, it is not only suitable as a gift for those born in August. Anyone who has a preference for green gemstones will be delighted to receive a piece of jewelry with the radiant peridot.
Properties: gemstone of the olivine group
The mineral behind the peridot is called olivine. It is a magmatic mineral that is brought to the earth's surface by volcanoes.
This is probably why a connection was drawn between the peridot and the goddess Pele in Hawaiian mythology. Pele is the goddess of volcanoes and fire, who controls the flow of lava. Peridot became a symbol of a tear of Pele.
Peridot is also rarely found in meteorites.
Olivine, and thus also peridot, has a hardness of 6.5 to 7 on the ten-point Mohs hardness scale.
Faceted or en cabochon: the most common cuts for peridot
Pure peridot is usually faceted. The facets accentuate its brilliance. For this, the round or oval brilliant cut or the emerald cut is used. In addition to round and square, teardrop-shaped peridot is also found.
If the stone is slightly cloudy, the smooth cabochon cut is usually used.
