Peridot Information

Peridot comes in a variety of the color green from olive green to yellowish green to brownish green. The most popular color by far is the olive green. It is generally natural in color and is not often found treated. The birthstone for August is the peridot and the anniversary stone for the 16th year of marriage. This stone is very popular for peridot earrings, but other good jewelry options would be peridot necklaces, brooches and charms. Because it is a relatively soft stone, it is not a good stone for rings as a good whack of the wrist could cause scratches or cracks. It is a 7 out of 10 on the Mohs hardness scale.

“While peridot is not particularly brilliant, the richness of the color can be exceptional”, according to Jewelry & Gems/The Buying Guide, authored by Antoinette Matlins, and A.C. Bonanno. Peridots were as popular in the 2nd millennium B.C. as they are today. Cleopatra was famous for wearing her favorite gemstone, emerald, but it is believed she also wore peridot thinking it was the same gemstone. In the late Victorian and Edwardian periods, peridots again were used as embellishments.

In the mid 1990’s, peridot once again became a desired stone. Because a large mine in Pakistan was found, the popularity of the stone can easily be met today. In fact, the most beautiful peridots come from the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Peridot mines can also be found in Myanmar, China, the United States, Africa and Australia. Peridot from Arizona is a yellowish to golden brown and is often used in Native American jewelry. Peridot should be priced like garnets. They are plentiful and relatively inexpensive. Peridot comes in many sizes so it is not uncommon to see a stone as large as 15 carats.