All About Peridot History

"Peritot" comes from the French meaning "Gold", and because the natural mineral colour of the peridot stones found in Peridot Rings, Peridot Earrings and Peridot Pendants, show this "gold" colour hue, this is where the word Peridot originates.

 click to view our Peridot Sale

Peridot is the gemstone that is usually associated with all types of 16th anniversaries and is the birthstone for the month of August.

Peridot History

It is thought to have been first found around 1500BC on the Island of Zabargad or St Johns Island (once known as Topazos) in the Red Sea off Egypt. This gave rise to it being originally named as Topaz Peridot. This name remained to around the 18th Century when it became known as Peridot (from the French word). This name has stuck ever since.

It was supposed to be Cleopatras' favourite gemstone, even though at first the green stones she once adorned were thought to be emeralds. The Egyptians call it the "Gem of the Sun" and "Evening Emerald" and have also designated it as being their national stone.

On the island of Topazos the local inhabitants were enslaved by the Egyptian Pharaohs so as they would spend all life long mining these gems for them. The Island was so well protected that nobody would dare land without fear of certain execution. These local miners used the stones "evening radiance" or "shine" to be able to pick peridot from the earth even at night!

The Christian Crusaders during the 11th and 12th centuries are believed to have returned home with amazingly large examples, gained from plundering mines from all over their travels. Some of these truly beautiful gems are now found in major museums such as the Tower of London and in the Vatican, but most have probably been cut down to fit in to jewellery through the centuries.

At the beginning of the 1900's superb examples of this gem re-appeared on the markets, again sourced from the Red Sea region. One large example (approx six by four inches) that was famously thought to be originally glass crystal reached an amazing price of 100 which was phenomenal in those days. Production reached its peak during the 19th century, before closing down for 20 years in 1930 due to war.

Excellent quality peridot was once mined in Burma, but just the same as with other gemstones found there, its trade has been damaged due to the political unrest. Although some stones do still come out they are usually not of the same previous quality and are passed through to Thailand in the network of "black market" trading.

Legends of Peridot

Mother nature was thought to have given peridot to the Ancients annually, in celebration of the creation of a "New World". Tribe leaders throughout history if wearing peridot are thought to have been fair and wise.

Up until the middle ages it was thought that the cosmos was made from gemstones and that the sun was made from peridot.

Peridot is supposed to hold many amazing magical powers according to legends. If the jewellery containing peridot was set in to gold, then it would be even stronger in its ability to ward of terrors and bad dreams of the night. The Romans thought that if worn on the right arm it would be even stronger!

Peridot is supposed to protect people from the "evil eye", dispel envious thoughts, and help in friendship along with bringing happiness. It attracts lovers, and strengthens the eye sight.

In ancient times medicines were drunk out of cups made from peridot because it was thought to massively help the healing process. If peridot was carved with an etching of an Ass it was believed to provide greater skill and prophesy, whereas if a totem or vulture was carved, this would provide control over the wind and demons!

My Summary

Most, if not all of the following information has at some time been used by the jewellery trade to market the gemstones to various sections by tapping into peoples beliefs and interests, and hoping these aspects would tempt them to buy this gemstone. It often works!

I hope you have found my article on the peridot gemstone interesting and thank you for taking the time to read it.

J S Stewart © 2011 Globe Jewellery Limited. All Rights Reserved.

To view an excellent range of Beautiful Peridot Jewellery, it is well worth a visit to www.GlobeJewellery.co.uk for an amazing collection of Stunning Peridot Rings, Peridot Earrings and Peridot Pendants, as well as much more!

All About Peridot And Peridot Jewellery

To give a piece of Peridot Jewellery containing a birthstone gem will bring luck and protection. Such examples could be Peridot Earrings, Peridot Pendants or Peridot Earrings. Monthly birthstones symbolize the birth month of the Gregorian calendar.

If you're not an expert, you buying jewellery with Peridot be a very difficult task. If you want to help, I made this little guide to will hopefully help you make the right choice for your needs. When you buy jewellery with Peridot, you should consider a combination of peridot colour, clarity, weight and cut. As with all gemstones, there are compromises that must be done, and when you select the type and quality of peridot, it is usually up to your colour choice of Peridot that you find interesting and within budget.

Introduction

I sincerely believe that all peridot gems and jewellery be purchased from suppliers in accordance with the provisions that were acquired in ethical conditions.

Peridot is one of the prettiest of all green gems, occurring in a colour that is the epitome of grass green. Interestingly enough, the name topaz may have initially been applied to Peridot, for it is found on the island of Topazos (Zabargad) in the Red Sea.

History, Legend and Lore

Former civilizations believe that peridot is a gift of Mother Nature every year to celebrate the new world. National leaders, who used to wear peridot publicly, were considered friendly, just and wise.

In Antiquity, as well as in the Middle Ages people believed that the cosmos is reflected in gemstones. Peridot is assigned to planet Saturn. The esoteric movement revived the ancient belief and the gem industry made it another marketing tool to promote certain gems.

The green stone, was called Topaz first, and this name remained until the 18th century when the English began to describe the gemstone as peridot. Today, the gem variety of forsterite olivine and the group still bears that name.

Like other gems, peridot was to give special powers to the wearer. Marbodei mentioned in de Lapidibus that peridot would eliminate the horrors of the night. He states "If it were to be used as protection against the wiles of evil spirits, the stone was pierced, and pulled the hair of a donkey and then attached to the left arm. In the Middle Ages, held the belief that peridot dissolve enchantments and put to flight the demons.

Although no records survive, significant work must have taken place during the 11th and 12th centuries. Christian crusaders are known to have returned home with large Peridots as part of their loot. Fine gems from these mines remain today in a number of European sanctuaries including the Treasury of the Three Magi in Cologne and the Vatican. The precious stone and jewelry collection in the Tower of London also contains large peridot gems.

In the early 1900s new Peridot crystals began to appear in European mineral collections, and fine faceted stones were once again offered for sale by important jewelers. Turkish rulers of Egypt apparently directed a series of successful mining ventures until 1922, when the Red Sea Mining Company acquired a lease and located new sources of the gem material. Ismalum Bey, managing director of the company, sold history's largest peridot crystal-actually only a crystal half-to Cairo businessman Max Ismalun. Measuring 6.6 by 5.1 by 2.5 centimeters, the well formed, nearly flawless specimen, as fine deep green colour. Ismalun took the crystal to London and sold it for $100 to the British Museum of Natural History, where it may be seen today. The Red Sea Mining Company abandoned its operation with the outbreak of World War II, and since that time the Peridot deposit has been worked only sporadically. For the past 20 years, it has been abandoned.

Mineralogists know that large olivine crystals initially formed in the cracks, lack of depth of 25 meters which became the foundation stone of the country, the peridotite. Poorly attached to the walls crack, the crystals may have been released by the seismic action or bad weather, after which it fell to the bottom of the crack, where the miners were mixed in the rubble of crushed stone. Although the crystal faces are clean and bright, often with fresh fractures, confirming the theory that the earthquake damage.

Peridot has a number of places around the world, but a large rock crystal Zabargad are unique. The crystals are usually flat and the table. Double-ended examples are very rare. The name Peridot is used to describe the chain of forsterite fayalite olivine series.

What is Peridot

Property of Peridot

Composition: Peridot is the gem variety of the olivine group, which has the following species: Forsterite-Mg2SiO4 Fayalite-Fe2SiO4

Hardness (Mohs): 6.5 to 7.

Cleavage: Imperfect to distinct in one direction (rarely seen).

Specific Gravity: 3.34 + 0.17,-0.07

Refractive index: 1654-1690 ( 0.020)

Birefringence: 0035-0038

Optical Character two axes (positive or negative, the rate is usually near the center of the alpha beta and gamma).

Crystal system: orthorhombic, rocks usually occurs in rounded crystals formed are very rare.

colour: Mostly green, yellow or brown.

Pleochroism: Weak to moderate, dichroic.

UV Fluorescence: Generally inert.

Spread: Happening 0020: cat's eye and star peridot are known, but they are rare.

Handling: Ultrasonic - not safe; never clean peridot ultrasonically. Steamer - not safe.The best way to care for peridot is to clean it with warm, soapy water. Avoid exposure to heat, acids and rapid temperature changes.

Enhancements: Peridot is not typically enhanced.

Synthetic Available: NoHow to Buy your Peridot Jewellery

When you buy peridot there are a number of factors you should consider - these are the 4 C's - colour, clarity, carat weight and cut.

Colour

Peridot is ideochromatic, being coloured by the ferrous iron that is basic to its composition. The ideal colour is a rich grass-green, but some Peridot is yellowish green, greenish yellow or brown. The best colours of peridot generally contain about 10-15% of iron.

Peridot belongs to the forsterite-fayalite mineral series, which is part of the olivine group. It is one of the "idiochromatic" gems, meaning its colour comes from the basic chemical composition of the mineral itself, not from minor impurities, and therefore will only be found in shades of green. As a matter of fact Peridot is one of the few gemstones found in only one colour.

* Hue refers to the base colour of peridot. * Saturation (also known as colour purity and intensity) is the extent to which the pitch is covered with other colours. * Tone refers to the amount of peridot colour ranging from very light to very dark.

Clarity

Since Peridot is not a particularly expensive stone, eye-clean clarity is the standard. Burmese gems are often marred by small platelet inclusions, which may give some stones a sleepy appearance. The strong birefringence (0.036) of Peridot can also give stones a slightly sleepy look. This is most pronounced in large stones (10 cts. plus).

The clarity with which all other gems, are officially classified as the best from VVS (very very slightly included) to VS (very slightly included), the SI-S2 (slightly included) to I1, I2, 13 (included).

Cut

Only imagination limits the cuts and shapes applied to Peridot, with everything from stunning fantasy cuts to tumbled beads being seen. Again, because it is not terribly expensive, cutters can focus on beauty more than weight retention. This means that good cutting, proportions and symmetry are to be expected. Stay away from misshapen native cut gems, unless they are cheap enough to recut to good proportions.

Prices

Peridot ranges in price from about 50-80/ct. well-cut gems in TC 2.1. size to less than 400 to 450 ct. large coloured stone top.

Stone Sizes

Peridot is common in sizes ranging from melee to faceted stones of 10 cts. or more. Fine faceted stones of greater than 300 carats are known, but quite rare.

Sources

Save peridot was found in a handful of places in the world. In the larger sizes (10 cts. Plus) is Pyaung Gaung in the ways of Burma Mogok stone important. Faceted beads of hundreds of carats are known from this deposit. In the 1990s, a new deposit of Pakistan Suppatt region discovered, and this material is really equal to that of Burma.

United States, the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation supplies good material, but rarely this cut gem above 10 carats. Peridot is also mined in China, Brazil, Australia and Norway, among other places. The story did not deposit Zabargad in every decade.

Improvements

Peridot is usually best without.

Imitations

Peridot has never been synthesized, but a number of imitations exist, including natural stones such as tourmaline, and man-made imitations such as glass. Green glass is imitation the most common, and can be easily distinguished by its single refraction.

Cleaning Peridot

As with most jewellery, it is rarely necessary to have your jewellery "professionally" cleaned unless they were allowed to become very dirty and / or scratched or damaged. If cleaned regularly enough, so simply by cleaning with hot, soapy water lightly with a very soft toothbrush, all the fire and brilliance original stones remain or be brought back to life. Just be careful.

My last word ..,

No matter where you buy your jewellery from peridot, it is obviously preferable to use reliable suppliers, be it Internet or high street based.

I suggest you buy your peridot jewellery carefully. Expect to pay more for large stones and remember at the end of the day, "beauty is in the eye of" spectator. "So choose the stones you want, not what we are led to believe you want! Whatever peridot colour, size or shape you choose, be sure to use and enjoy!

Thank you for reading my article - I sincerely hope that will help in some way!

J S Stewart © 2011 Globe Jewellery Limited. All Rights Reserved.

If you want to view an excellent range of Stunning Peridot Jewellery, then I recommend you visit www.GlobeJewellery.co.uk for a great collection of Beautiful Peridot Rings, Peridot Earrings and Peridot Pendants, and all with lowest price promise. Enjoy!