Peridot is August's Birthstone and is recognized by its brilliant lime green glow. Its signature green color comes from the composition of the mineral itself, rather than from trace impurities with many gems. That is the reason it is one of few stones that only comes in one color, though shades may vary from yellowish-green to olive to brownish-green, depending the quantity of iron present. The most valuable color variant of Peridot is a dark-olive -green as well as in a olive green color. An interesting thing about Peridot is it is thought to be a type of olivine, an abundant mineral that can be found in lava and in meteorites (although gem quality varieties can be rare.)
Most of the world's Peridot supply comes from the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona. Also, thanks to rich deposits of Peridot that were discovered in Pakistan in the 1990s, the gem is realtively inexpensive in smaller grain sizes but prices increase for larger stones. Flawless peridots over 5 carats are particularly rare. The world's largest peridot is a 310-carat gem located in the Smithsonian Museum in Washington DC. Also, Peridot is a prized gem in the Russian Crown Jewels, where you can find a 192 carat Peridot in the Kremlin.
Peridot dates back to the second millennium BC. They were found by the Ancient Egytians on a small volcanic island in the Red Sea called Topazios, now known as St. John's Island or Zabargad. The Egyptians called Peridot the "gem of the sun" believing it protected its wearer from terrors of the night.
Peridot was often mistaken for emeralds in Ancient times. Cleopatra's famed emerald collection may have been Peridot. A shrine in Germany's cologne Cathedral has gems adorning it and were long thought to be emeralds but they are Peridots.
Peridot is a stunning gem and is beautiful and rich looking in any jewelry. Make that special person in your life that was born in August feel even more special with a Peridot ring, pendant or earrings from Swede's.