About Peridot - August's Birthstone
We have finally reached the month of August, which means a new birthstone, how exciting!
This is a great month for August babies as peridot is known for their symbolic attributes and their rich history. The gemstone is a symbol for strength and happiness. It is believed to attract wealth, peace and health to the wearer whilst alleviating anger, anxiety and fear.
Peridot is a gem-quality variety of the mineral olivine. The name “peridot” comes from the Arabic word “faridat”, meaning gem. It is one of the oldest gemstones, with records tracing back to 1500 BC – how crazy is that!
Gemstones are usually formed in the earth’s crust. However, peridots are formed in the earth’s mantle region. Peridot crystals form in the earth’s magma and gets erupted to the surface by tectonic or volcanic activity, where they are found in igneous rocks.
During the 1500 B.C, Egyptians referred to the green gems as “gems of the sun.” Back then the stones were mined on the Egyptian Island Topazios which is now known as, Zabargad. Nowadays, peridot is mined from the San Carlos reservation in Arizona, China and Sri Lanka. Peridot is also mined in large quantities in many other parts of the world like Kenya and Pakistan.
Peridot is a gemstone that demands to be noticed. Historically, the gemstone was used during the Suffragette movement at the end of the 19th century. It drew attention to their activism because of the Peridot’s bright green colour which was seen as a symbol of hope.
The unique selection of the different shades of green is one of the reasons why the gemstone is so popular. Using a more technical explanation, commercial quality peridot is separated into quality grades of A and B. A quality peridot stones are yellowish green stones with no brown tones. B quality peridot stones are usually very pale in colour.
You can opt for either a lively light green stone, adding pizzazz to your outfit, or go with a slightly darker stone for a more daring look.
Whilst writing this blog we spoke to some of our jewellery makers to see if they had any fun facts about peridot. Here were the best ones!
- Peridot crystals are found in meteorites!
- Peridot is cut in a wide variety of styles, including ovals, cushions and emerald cuts.
- Most fine peridot is eye clean. Tiny black spots might be visible with magnification.
