In today’s market Peridot is looked upon as a sophisticated stone that all ages can wear, and due to the colour can also be set in pieces for every occasion. If you’re looking for a gift that combines tradition and history with contemporary style and lasting elegance then this is the stone for you.

Peridot has been mined as a gemstone for over 4000 years and is even mentioned in the bible - although you may not recognize the name as it is mentioned under the Hebrew name of ‘Pitdah’. It comes from the Olivine mineral family, which is a species of magnesium rich silicate minerals; and is a bright yellow green or golden green colour.

Throughout history it has been mistaken and confused with other gemstones; such as Emerald - which is surprising due to the yellow green colour of the stone - compared to Emeralds deep green. It has also been mistaken with Apatite, Green Garnets, Green Tourmaline, Moldavites and Green Zircon.

Having long been associated with luck, many cultures have celebrated this unusual and magical stone in their myths and legends due to its apparent power in warding off evil spirits! Historically if the stone was then set in gold or any precious metal its capacity to bring the bearer luck and good fortune were intensified even more. In days gone by goblets and sword handles of the rich and powerful land owners and aristocracy were known to be encrusted with Peridots, it was thought that what you then drank from the goblet would become a potion to stimulate greatness - the same theory applied to the swords as it was thought it would bring power on the battle field and strength to their legions.

This precious gemstone can often be seen in Egyptian jewellery from the early 2nd millennium B.C. Historians have said that they suspect that some of the Emeralds worn by Cleopatra were actually Peridot. The Romans were also fans of this gem and named it the Emerald of the evening, due to its resistance against artificial light.

In Hawaii where this stone is known as the tears of their goddess Oahu – you can actually find whole beaches that are of a green hue due the small grains of Peridot, they of course are much too small to make into a wearable stone, but it is a truly incredible sight to see.

Little crystals are often found near and in the rocks of volcanoes, and in 1984 a very exciting discovery was made in the form of a deposit of this wondrous stone being found in the far west Himalayas near Kashmir – an area known in all ancient civilizations, as well as modern times to be drenched in natures wealth and abundance.

Today the stone is cherished by people more for its beauty than its powers, but the history of this stone still remains a great part of its mystery and fascination to all who wear it.

With a hardness of 6.5 - 7 on the mohs scale, Peridot is robust and easy to look after. It can be found in several locations across the world including Egypt, Myanmar, Brazil, USA, and Mexico, and more recently a large good quality deposit has been discovered in Pakistan, which is producing some stunning pieces of Peridot. It has been estimated that 80-95% of all the worlds Peridot comes from Arizona, USA.

Hardness: 6.5, Refractive Index: 1.64-1.69