The Texas heat of summer has
kicked in full force this week, so we were looking for something cool and
refreshing to share with you. Peridot is
one of the less well known gemstones, but its lime green color is the perfect complement
to any summer wardrobe. It is the
birthstone for August, and Peridot is also given to celebrate the 16th
year of marriage.
Peridot is one of the few
gemstones that only come in one color.
All Peridot is a rich, green color with a slight tinge of golden hues. Peridot comes from the French word Peritot
which means gold because it has minerals that can make it have a golden color. The gold tones in Peridot are caused by very
fine traces of iron. The intensity of
the color of Peridot is dependent on how much iron is actually present in this
gemstone, the deeper the green, the smaller the amount of iron present. Peridot color can vary from shades of
yellowish green and olive to even brownish green, but the lime green coloration
is by far favorited by most. Peridot is
a relatively soft stone, with a rating of 6.5 to 7 on the hardness scale, but
it is easy to care for and definitely a wearable gemstone. 
In old times, Peridot was known
as Chrysolite, but that term was used because we did not have the ability to accurately
identify stones like we do today. The
term “Chrysolite” was also used for some topaz until we were better able to
differentiate the stones. Peridot’s
brilliant green glow under artificial light has caused many people to refer to this
gemstone as the “Evening Emerald.” Quality
Peridots of two to three carats are expensive, and a fine quality Peridot of
eight carats or more is extremely rare.
Larger pieces of Peridot are sought after by collectors and museums.
Peridot was first discovered on
an Egyptian island. Ancient Egyptians
adored this gemstone and called it “the gem of the sun.” Some historians believe that the Pharaoh’s treasured
this vivid green gemstone so much that they enslaved the people living on the island
and forced them to mine these stones. Today, peridot is recognized as the national gem of Egypt.
Everything changed in the 1990’s
when a large deposit of some of the finest peridot ever found was discovered in
a pass at 4000 meters in Pakistan. Due
to the extreme location of this deposit, it could only be mined in the summer
months. Even with the complexity of
mining this stone in Pakistan, it was worthwhile because the pass contained
some of the finest peridot ever seen and the demand for the beautiful gemstone
grew. Peridot from this region is now
referred to as “Kashmire Peridot” to distinguish it from lessor stones.
The most fascinatingly beautiful
peridot comes from Pakistan and along its border with Afghanistan. However, this brilliant green stone can also
be found in Myahmar, China, the United States, Africa, and Australia. Peridot was beloved by many during ancient
times and is still sought after in our modern world. Its properties and beautiful cool shades of
lime green make it ideal for fashion jewelry of today.
