Peridot Jewelry – World of Gemstones

When most people think green jewelry, their minds first think of emeralds. However, emeralds are not the only gems the shine in colors of green!  Peridot jewelry contains a vivid green with a slight hint of gold.  It is a beautiful stone that looks gorgeous with much of your wardrobe.

Peridot Jewelry – History

Ancient Romans were quite fond of peridot and praised it for its radiant green shine.  They named it the “emerald of the evening” because its color doesn’t change – even when in artificial light.  Egyptians from the early 2nd millennium B.C.E. used peridot on their jewelry. The stones used at that time came from a deposit on a small volcanic island in the Red Sea. Additionally, medieval churches used peridot on many religious treasures. Furthermore, the American Gemological Institute determined that peridot is the August birthstone and represents Leos.

The peridot is one of the few gemstones that only come in one color, and the unique color is caused by very fine traces of iron.  In fact, gemologist have determined that the intensity of the color depends on the amount of iron present within the stone.

Peridot Properties

Peridot is not particularly hard (6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale) – but it is a fairly robust stone and is somewhat easy to look after. Shady jewelers sell synthetic forsterite as a peridot imitation. This is a very good imitation and it’s important to work with a Schwanke Kasten professional when you shop for your peridot jewelry.

Schwanke Kasten Jewelers encourages you to consider our fine selection of peridot jewelry online on our Schwanke Kasten website.