Peridot

Table of Contents

• The Gift of a Peridot Gemstone.
• What is Peridot?
• Peridot's Lily-Pad Inclusion.
• A Brief History of Peridot.
  
• Where is Peridot Mined?
• Peridot Price Guide.
• Peridot Jewellery.

"The gift of a birthstone ties hearts together from generation to generation" - The Sapphire Merchant

1. The Gift of a peridot birthstone

Peridot is a gemstone that holds nostalgia for me. On my 7th birthday, my Grandmother gifted me a beautiful silver ring with a small, round brilliant-cut peridot set into it. I can still vividly recall the magic of opening the small white ring box and the delight of discovering my first glittering gemstone treasure. My Grandmother chose the Peridot because it is the birthstone of August, my birth month. It was the first jewellery piece I ever owned as a little girl, and I loved it so much. I felt proud to wear such a thoughtfully chosen trinket on my finger. I keep it tucked away in my jewellery box, sometimes taking it out to admire. For a little girl, there is something very special about being gifted a birthstone. To this day, grandmothers, husbands, mothers, and daughters still practise the tradition of gifting a birthstone jewellery piece. My admiration for Peridot endures, and its strong associations with my Grandmother make it a gemstone that I will forever hold close to my heart.

Peridot, The Modern
Birthstone of August

Peridot is the birthstone of August and was added as the modern August birthstone in 1912. It replaced sardonyx as the primary August stone, likely due to its greater commercial appeal and availability. Peridot's bright green colour made it a more visually distinctive gem, aligning with the trend of assigning birth gemstones that were both attractive and accessible. While sardonyx remains a traditional birthstone for August, Peridot has since become August's most widely recognised and commonly associated gem.

Asscher Cut Peridot Gold Ring

2. What is Peridot?

Peridot is iron magnesium silicate, an idiochromatic gem, and its hue depends on the amount of iron it contains. The higher the level of iron, the more intense the green. Formed deep within the Earth in the fiery magma of the upper mantle, Peridot crystals are forced to the Earth's surface through tectonic activity and volcanic eruptions. Peridot (a variety of Olivine) is the only precious gemstone species that is exclusively green and ranges from a soft yellowish green to a vivid parrot green.

The Building Blocks of Peridot

Chemical Composition: Magnesium iron silicate (Mg, Fe)2SiO4

Crystal System: Orthorhombic

Refractive Index: 1.65 to 1.69

Specific Gravity: 3.32 to 3.37

Double Refraction: 0.036

Mohs Hardness: 6.5

Lustre: Dull Vitreous to Oily Vitreous

Forsterite, Olivine Peridot from St John's Island, Egypt.

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3. Peridot's Lily-Pad Inclusion

One of the most intriguing features of Peridot is its unique lily pad inclusion. These delicate, disk-like patterns form around tiny crystal or liquid inclusions within the gemstone, resembling a lily pad floating across a pond. Rather than diminishing the Peridot's beauty, they give it a signature marking; an inner landscape that makes the gemstone feel alive, like a secret garden hidden within its green glow. When a peridot is submitted to a gemstone laboratory for testing, under a microscope, if a lily-pad inclusion is identified, this confirms the gem as Peridot.

A Lily-Pad Inclusion in Peridot

4. A Brief History of Peridot

Peridot from Zabargad Island

Widely considered one of the oldest documented gemstones, records indicate that the first discoveries of Peridot were made on the volcanic Island of Topazo (now Zabargad Island), located in the Red Sea. According to folklore, the island's inhabitants mined Peridot, referred to as 'gem of the sun'.

Today, the ancient mine of Zabargad lies submerged beneath the Red Sea, lost to history and no longer accessible. On rare occasions, however, collectors encounter peridot specimens from this legendary source. Their distinctive crystal form, unique termination style, and rich olive hue set them apart unmistakably as Egyptian treasures—quite different from the vibrant material unearthed in modern deposits such as Pakistan.

Egyptian queen Cleopatra was fond of precious green gemstones, and there is lore that she kept an extensive collection of emeralds. It was later considered that her collection was most probably Zabargad Peridot. Peridot's visual similarity to emerald has historically resulted in several other high-profile cases of mistaken identity. For example, the impressive 200-carat green gemstones adorning a shrine in Germany's Cologne Cathedral were long believed to be emeralds, only to be established more recently as peridots.

Peridot And The Bible

Further linking 'gem of the sun' to Peridot, historians believe that chrysolite, a gemstone mentioned several times in the Bible, was also Peridot. In the Book of Exodus, chrysolite is listed among the stones in the high priest's breastplate. Chrysolite, Greek for 'golden stone', was historically used for several yellow-green gems, but many scholars agree that it likely referred to Peridot.

Peridot is French and derives from the Greek word Peridona, meaning to 'bestow wealth'. Peridot has long been associated with protection, abundance, and good fortune. The Ancient Greeks and Romans associated Peridot with the power to drive away malevolent forces and bring peace. Peridot was believed to offer protection against enchantments and evil spirits in medieval Europe.

5. Where is peridot mined?

Peridot is found in several locations worldwide, with notable sources including Myanmar (Burma), Pakistan, China, Vietnam, and the United States (Arizona). Some of the finest Peridot comes from Arizona's San Carlos Apache Reservation, where Native American miners have extracted the gemstone for generations. Interestingly, Peridot has also been discovered in meteorites, making it one of the few gemstones originating on Earth and in the heavens. Interestingly, Peridot has even been found in meteorites that have impacted the Earth from space!

Pallasite meteorite with olive-green peridot crystals, found in Fukang, China.

6. Peridot price guide: how much should I pay?

Peridot's value, as with all coloured gemstones, is determined by its colour, clarity, size, and origin. The most desirable peridots exhibit a vivid green hue with minimal yellow or brown undertones. Gemstones with high clarity and few inclusions command the highest prices. More significantly, high-quality peridots are rarer and more valuable, with Burmese and Pakistani peridots especially sought after for their deep, rich green tones.

Here is our Peridot price guide. Many nuanced factors influence the value of each stone, including colour intensity, clarity and cut precision. For example, a flawless 7.00ct Peridot with a rich parrot green hue will differ significantly in value from a 7.00ct Peridot, which is a lighter yellowish-green and has some light inclusions. Our guide is intended to be just that, a guide.

7. Peridot Jewellery

Peridot is a superb choice of gemstone to craft into custom jewellery. It can be set into a ring; however, some care should be taken with the design and the wearing of the gemstone. With a hardness of 6.5-7, Peridot is softer than sapphires and diamonds, making it more susceptible to scratches and abrasions. When designing a Peridot ring, a protective setting, such as a bezel or diamond halo, is recommended to safeguard the gemstone. Additionally, consider Peridot for custom-crafted earrings or a sparkling pendant. To care for your peridot jewellery, regular cleaning with a gentle product such as sunlight soap and a soft toothbrush and avoiding exposure to harsh chemicals will help maintain your Peridot's brilliance over time.

Peridot set in a yellow gold ring with double claws and a hidden halo.

The Sapphire Merchant is New Zealand's premier precious gemstone and custom jewellery house. Are you looking for a Peridot gemstone for a unique birthstone jewellery piece? Or does Peridot hold significance to you for other reasons? Shop our collection, or allow us to broker you a Peridot gemstone that will become a moment-defining treasure for you or a special person in your life.