Peridot is the traditional birthstone for the month of August. The ancient Romans nicknamed the gem ’emerald of the evening,’ since even in artificial light the stunning green color does not change. Peridot can be found in ancient Egyptian jewelry from the early 2nd Millenium B.C. The stones the Egyptians used came from a small volcanic island in the red sea. This island was rediscovered around 1900 and has been exhausted of any remaining peridot.

Peridot is from the Olivine mineral group. The olivine group is isomorphous (meaning they all have the same crystal structure), varying in chemical composition. The beautiful green color of peridot is due to the amount ferrous iron present, which is then modified by trace amounts of Fe3+, Ti4+ and Ni2+. Specimans with a higher ratio of magnesium have a more desirable green hue, while higher concentrations of iron have more of a yellow-green to brownish-green color.

Origin

Originally the volcanic island Zabargad (St. John) in the Red Sea was the most important site of peridot, but has since been completely exploited. Today peridot is found in; Pakistan, Myanmar (Burma), Vietnam, Australia (Queensland), Brazil (Minas Gerais), China, Kenya, Mexico, Norway (north of Bergen), South Africa, Sri Lanka (Ceylon), Tanzania and the United States (Arizona and Hawaii).

Properties, Treatments & Lab Created

Peridot is rated a 6.5 – 7 on the Mohs scale.

There are no known treatments used to enhance peridot.

There are also no lab created peridot, only simulated.