Peridot

 

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The birthstone for August, people either love it, or...not. Like citrine, the color and radiance of peridot benefits from a great cut, a luxury usually not afforded to inexpensive gemstones. Fine stones are worthy of their sophisticated name, others can be humorously referred to as "pear-i-dot." Known as the gem of the sun, unusual specimens have been found including cat's eye, brown, and orange peridots. Peridot is derived from the Arabic faridat, meaning "gem." Huge Chinese deposits, discovered in 1979, have brought inexpensive peridot onto the mass merchandising market mediums of TV and cataloges. Chinese peridot is usually cleaner than Arizona peridot, slightly more yellow, and found in ovals, rounds and trillions.

 

Also known as olivine, and, as early as 1500 BC, topazos, the finest source for this gem is the Island of St. John (previously known as Topazios and then Zeberget) located in the Red Sea and once a favorite haunt of pirates who are said to have discovered this gem there. The French were the first to refer to this stone as peridot. Production from the Egyptian and Myanmar mines, once the standard for fine peridot, is minimal. Arizona mines yield finished (cut) stones generally under 1 carat and up to 4 carats. Arizona peridot weighing 20 carats are extremely rare, whereas peridot from Myanmar are frequently found in large sizes.

 

Inclusions of biotite are found in Myanmar peridot. Arizona peridot tends to be heavily included. High birefringence requires care in cutting this stone. A magnesium iron silicate, peridot is fragile, measuring 6.5-7 on Mohs scale. Peridot has definite cleavage.

 

Speical care when wearing as a ring as it scratches and abraides easily. Avoid temperature extremes and household chemicals. Special care when wearing as a ring as it scratches and abraides easily. Avoid temperature extremes and household chemicals. Hand clean.

 

The San Carlos Reservation in Arizona produces material yielding fine quality stones of 5 to 10 carats. Other sources include Myanmar, Pakistan, Egypt, South Africa, Zaire, Czechoslovakia, Norway, Australia, and South America.

 

Drinking medicine from a peridot chalice was thought to intensify the effects of the drug. Set in gold, peridot was worn to protect from terrors of the night. Pirates wore peridot to ward off evil. Placed on the stomach of a woman in labor, it was thought to relieve pain.  Peridot was worn to ensure faithfulness, increase clairvoyance, prosperity, and patience, enhance mental clarity, and ward off emotional stress. Hawaiian legend has peridot as the tears of Pele, the volcano goddess.