Peridot is the Birthstone of August

Peridot is the birthstone of August.

While the exact origin of the name peridot is unknown, many sources state it comes from the Arabic word farodat, meaning gem.  Peridot is one of the few gems that come in one distinctive color.  The most valuable is an intense deep green color.  Peridot is known to make the wearer look younger and more beautiful. 

Peridot was one of Cleopatra's favorite stones.  While many believe Cleopatra's favorite stone was emerald, there is an abundance of archeological evidence that points to what was thought to be emeralds were actually peridot.  Ancient Egyptians called them "gem of the sun" because of its high brilliance under the sun.

Peridot was considered more beautiful than emerald.  It is widely believed that this stone was so beautiful, it was used as the second stone in the high priest's breastplate for the second temple of Jerusalem built in 515 BC, with ruby being the first.

This gemstone was said to glow at night. Ancient minors would search in the evening or night when they said it was easiest to find.  Romans called peridot "evening emerald" because they stayed vibrant and bright under all lighting conditions and did not darken under night sky.

Some have the perception that peridot is not a good stone because they haven't seen it in beautiful quality.  As soon as our clients discover the peridot we carry, they fall in love with the stone forever.

While almost all gemstones are formed in the earth’s crust, peridot is formed much deeper, in the mantle. The only other stone formed in the mantle is diamond.  Peridot is sourced from many places such as China, Burma, and Arizona, but the best come from Pakistan. Although peridot from Pakistan is becoming increasingly rare, we only source ours from this region.

The stone is very transparent, so picking a very clean stone is important as inclusions are more visible than in other stones.

Peridot is a relatively inexpensive stone, for a fine quality stone sized between 3-10 carats you would typically pay $200-500 per carat.  Though finest quality stones from Pakistan over 6 carats are rare.

The pendant pictured is a 13 carat Pakistani peridot in 18k gold with diamonds.  The earrings each contain a 4 carat  Pakistani peridot in 14k gold.

By Viktoriya Gulko