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Interesting facts about Peridot
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Peridot, which is sometimes called chrysolite, is a transparent gem and exhibits a pale to deep yellow-green color. The
ancient cultures believed that the gems would cure liver disease and protected against evil spirits. It is associated with the astrological sign
of Libra. According to legend the green stones were mined as early as 1500 BC by the inhabitants of St. John’s Island
off the coast of Egypt. The Egyptian kings greatly prized the stone and forced the inhabitants to mine the stones under very
harsh conditions. Peridot jewelry was made with gold and its full magical powers were believed in very strongly. The stone
was surrounded by superstition and associated with the sun, whose rays gave life and dispelled the evil spirits and mysteries
of the darkness. During the Crusades, a large number of peridots were sent to Europe and mistakenly labeled as emeralds.
For its use in gemstone jewelry, peridot is relatively soft and therefore it will often tend to lose its polish and become scratched after extensive wear. Nevertheless peridot jewelry is popular world wide mostly associated with being the birth stone for August. Many of the finest examples of this gem are displayed in museums and some may attain a weight of several hundred carats. The island of St John’s is still a major producer of some of the finest quality peridot. Some beautiful and fine quality stones come from Arizona and Hawaii. Some of the largest stones can be found in the Mogok District of Burma while other current sources include Brazil, Australia, Czechoslovakia, Norway and Mexico. Compared with other gems, this stone is not expensive, with the exception of very large and flawless pieces. This factor also contributes to the overall popularity of peridot jewelry. The best quality of the material is consistently green and lacking any tinge of brown or yellow. It is not an especially common stone used in the making of Native American jewelry but some beautiful contemporary pieces are being made by the indigenous people of the Southwestern states.
For its use in gemstone jewelry, peridot is relatively soft and therefore it will often tend to lose its polish and become scratched after extensive wear. Nevertheless peridot jewelry is popular world wide mostly associated with being the birth stone for August. Many of the finest examples of this gem are displayed in museums and some may attain a weight of several hundred carats. The island of St John’s is still a major producer of some of the finest quality peridot. Some beautiful and fine quality stones come from Arizona and Hawaii. Some of the largest stones can be found in the Mogok District of Burma while other current sources include Brazil, Australia, Czechoslovakia, Norway and Mexico. Compared with other gems, this stone is not expensive, with the exception of very large and flawless pieces. This factor also contributes to the overall popularity of peridot jewelry. The best quality of the material is consistently green and lacking any tinge of brown or yellow. It is not an especially common stone used in the making of Native American jewelry but some beautiful contemporary pieces are being made by the indigenous people of the Southwestern states.
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