Precious Peridot: The Birthstone of August

The gorgeous green vibrancy of Peridot is what sets it apart from all the gemstones aside from the fact that it is only one of a handful of gemstones that occurs in only one colour. Whilst peridot is famous for its Pantone 'greenery' hues, the plethora of green tones can vary quite dramatically.

From pale mint greens, woody olive tones to sparkling bright lime highlights, the signature colour of peridot resides entirely from its internal chemical composition and the degree of how much iron is present in the stone.

Notable for its beautiful appearance and lustrous finish, peridot is a stone that is commonly used in fine jewellery collections due to its ability to combine exquisitely with platinum, silver and white gold. With its paint swatch colour spectrum, the most expensive pieces of peridot can be identified by their luminous and radiant grassy hues devoid of any undercurrents of brown or yellow.

Peridot is most commonly found within the San Carlos reservation in Arizona as well as China, Africa and Myanmar mines. Although it was first made famous in Egypt, peridot is increasingly being mined within many places in America and abroad. Thought to be a type of Olivine, peridot has even been found in some pallasite meteorites, giving it the reputation of being a gemstone of space.

Due to its enchanting brilliance at any time of day, peridot is also known to be "the Evening Emerald"  associated with good fortune and spirit to promote peace and prosperity by protecting against negative thoughts and vibrations. With strong historical folklore of its mystical and magical powers, peridot was used as a stone to ward off harm from evil spirits during the Middle Ages.

Today peridot is used throughout many jewellery designs due to its ranking of 6.5 to7 on the mohs scale. As a finished stone, peridot is fairly robust and durable which is why many today continue to wear peridot in their everyday jewellery to help encourage power and influence to its wearer.

Whether you're looking for a touch of peace and happiness in your life or just want an investment piece guaranteed to dazzle, enchant and catch some green-with-envy eyes then the birthstone of August is the stone to deliver.

Welcome to the fresh and fabulous world of peridot...

[Image credits: Pinterest, americangemsociety, gemrockauctions]