Your guide to Peridot gems

Peridot

Peridots are loved by many for their beautiful green colour. They are gemstone quality specimens of the mineral Olivine.

Peridot is regarded as the traditional birthstone for August. According to some peridot will bring success, peace and good luck to those who wear it.

Peridot has been found in jewellery made by the ancient Egyptians from 2000 BC; however it is just as popular today as it was then. Back then the best peridot deposits were found on an island near the red sea. This island was lost for many years and only rediscovered around 1900. Nowadays however there are many new peridots on the market. In the mid 1990’s some 4000 meters up a mountain in Pakistan, a new deposit was found. These peridots are spectacular, being especially large with fine crystals and a colour unsurpassed by any other. These are known as “Kashmir peridots.”

Another sought after type of peridot is the star peridot and the cats eye peridot, though these are both especially rare and therefore precious.