PERIDOT GEMSTONE & JEWELRY

Peridot gemstone is amongst the most beautiful of precious stones. It is, indeed, the perfect summer stone: its shimmering, iridescent olive green color, touched with the merest glint of golden hue, elegantly captures the heart of late summer, as it drifts laconically into fall.

Each glimmer calls to mind the smells, sights, and sounds of lazy summer days. It is no wonder then that the August birthstone is the peridot stone.

Peridot is also the the zodiac birthstone for libra with opal being the alternative one.

Shop our favourites:

Some Facts About Peridot

Peridot gemstones are unique in that peridot is one of the only precious stones that occurs in nature in only one color, olive green.

However, peridot may vary somewhat in hue and brilliance, depending on the amount of iron in the stone. Those stones with lesser amounts of iron have a more yellowish tint, while those rich in iron are more brownish.

The most valuable peridots are those which have a dark olive green tint!

Peridots have become increasingly popular over the last two centuries. Peridot jewelry has become very fashionable and makes a great accent to summer color wardrobes.
Peridot birthstones for the month of August are also popular and can be incorporated into a wide range of jewelry and ornamental objects to commemorate the birth of a special someone.

Peridot's Rich History

Peridot has a rich and very old history. Its use in manmade artifacts and ornaments goes back as far as ancient Egypt over 4000 years ago. The Egyptians collected peridot stones from deposits left by volcanic activity in the Red Sea.

It is believed that the ancient Egyptians used these precious stone to make peridot jewelry and for other decorative purposes, including incorporating them into religious relics.

Though much of these ornaments have been lost to time, their peridot gemstones stripped for use and reuse in more modern objects, some of the Egyptian's peridot artifacts do still remain today.

Kashmir Peridots

Though deeply valued in ancient times, Peridots fell into relative obscurity for many years.

Then, in the mid-1990s there was a major resurgence in the demand for perdiot gemstones, owing to the discovery of an exceptional deposit of peridots in the mountains of Pakistan.

The Kashmir peridots were among some of the finest peridot stones ever discovered. As luck would have it, not only were the peridots of Pakistan exceptionally fine, but there was an abundance of this precious stone tucked away beneath the earth.

This fortuitous find led to a major revival in the popularity of peridot.

Other Sources of Peridots

Though it is universally accepted that the finest peridot gemstones come from the region of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, there are a number of other regions that produce peridot stones.

Deposits of peridot have been found in China, Australia, Myanmar, Africa, and even in the USA.

Each region produces peridot of a distinct hue. For instance, peridot stones from Myanmar are light green with a silky shimmer. Those from Arizona, on the other hand, range from a moderately yellowish tint, to golden brown and is popular in Native American peridot jewellery.