Peridot is a slightly golden green gemstone which is assigned to the month of August as a birthstone. It is also called Chrysolith (derived from the Greek word “goldstone”) and Olivin, because Peridot is the gemstone variety of the Olivin mineral. Peridot is just an iron-magnesium-silicate, and the depth of the green color depends on the amount of iron contained. It is only available in green, but can range from a yellow-green to olive to brownish green. Peridot-Cat’s Eye and Star-Peridot are valuable rare treasures.

Peridot is an ancient jewel, being found even in Egyptian jewelry from the early second millennium BC. It originally came from a small volcanic island in the Red Sea, which has since been completely exploited. More recently, it was discovered in the Kashmir region, on a rough mountainside in Pakistan of about 4,000m height. Stones from Pakistan show a unique beauty and striking color, so though it is very difficult to mine and transport this stone, the demand for it makes it extremely popular and thus there are no problems with delivery. “Cashmere Peridots” are some of the finest stones available, with a deep, lustrous green.

Peridot has also been called the “Evening Emerald” and is not affected by artificial light. Peridot decorated many medieval treasures, for instance the Cologne Cathedral. It was also popular in the Baroque period.

The highest quality Peridots are found in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They also exist in Myanmar, China, the USA, Africa and Australia.

Peridot is not especially hard – it only achieves about 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs´ scale. It is an uncomplicated stone, but not a favorite of cutters. The rough crystals can be devious and are easy to break. The tensions existing inside the crystal are often quite considerable. Peridot is cut according to its crystal structure, usually in classical table and facetted cuts, round, antique, octagonal or oval shaped. Smaller crystals are cut as calibrated stones; larger ones are shaped by gemstone designers to fancy unique specimen stones.

Peridot best complements a summer outfit and is popular in jewelry series.