Along with other gemstones bearing the beautiful green color deep within their core, peridot is very praised for the unique hues of olive and lime-green it displays and the way in which it changes the tone of its color depending on the type of light to which it is exposed. The birthstone for all those who have seen the light of the world for the first time during August, peridot is the gem quality variety of olivine. Though this stone is one of the few that come only in a single color, this does not make it less beautiful or exquisite, because one can always get lost in the intense and vivid green color of the peridot.

Famous ever since ancient times, peridot was known in the old age, especially in Rome, as the 'emerald of the evening', because by the lamplight the green of this stone becomes deeper and darker. And even if throughout time it has been also called the poor man's emerald, this does not change with anything the fact that peridot is a splendid stone that has become more and more fashinable starting with the 19th century.

Peridot is also very praised in the Hawaiian mythology, as the legend says that the tears of the goddess Pele, who was the symbol of the fire and lightning, volcanoes and violence and also of dancing, were of peridot. This myth was born among the locals mostly due to the fact that many Hawaiian beaches are brim with these gems, which unfortunately are too small to be cut and embedded into jewelry.

Formation/Composition. Peridot has been collected from iron-nickel meteorites and is mostly formed during volcanic eruptions. Being a gemstone variety of the mineral olivine, which is very common world-wide, one would expect the same to apply to peridot - however, this is not the case, because this olive or lime-colored stone is rather rare.

History. As already said, throughout history peridot has been abundantly associated with the beautiful and deep-shaded emerald. It was found in ancient Egyptian, Greek and Roman locations and is also present in Europe in medieval churches, where it adorns treasures of the past, like one of the shrines found in the Cologne Cathedral.

Furthermore, peridot was also a very famous and praised stone during the baroque period, when its color, shine and myriad of sparkles fascinated people everywhere. After that, sadly, it started being overlooked and buried into oblivion. However, all was not lost for this wonderful gem, because its beauty arose once again to draw the attention and admiration of individuals world-wide during the 19th century, since when it has been increasingly paid attention to and introduced in all types of jewelry and adornments. And even though its fame and recognition was an on-and-off one, all that matters is that peridot is an incontestable alluring gemstone that could never be disregarded and left out for too long.

Variety. Peridot comes in only one color - green, but in many shades of this hue, from a vivid lime-light to a deep green tone, when containing more iron. It is also to be found in brownish shades, but these are not popular and neither valuable. However, the most valuable of all are the stones that bear a bright lime-green color with no olive tones.

In earlier times, peridot was extracted from the Red Sea island of Saint John's. Now, it is extensively mined in Arizona, New Mexico, Burma, Pakistan and China, even though resources of it are rather scarce. The stones obtained from Pakistan are of a rare beauty and are known as 'Kashmir peridots', coming immediately after the Kashmir sapphires.

Uses. Peridot is mostly used for jewelry and adornments and thanks to its fresh, bright color it is considered a stone for the summer, as it is able of bringing joy to the spirit and it can also enhance and bring glamor to a tanned skin and complexion. Given the fact that it is thought to exude a positive energy that livens the mind and soul of an individual who wears it close to his body, peridot is also used in complementary therapies against emotional and physical disorders. In times of old, people used to swallow tiny peridot stones, as it was believed to cure asthma. Peridot is also the lucky gemstone for the Monkey sign in the Chinese horoscope.