Peridot

The Egyptians called peridot the “gem of the sun.”

Peridot has always been associated with light. Some
believed that it protected its owner from “terrors of the
night,” especially when it was set in gold. Others strung
the gems on donkey hair and tied them around their left
arms to ward off evil spirits. The word peridot comes
from the Arabic “faridat,” which means “gem.” Most
peridot formed deep inside the earth and was delivered
to the surface by volcanoes. Some also came to Earth in
meteorites, but this extraterrestrial peridot is extremely
rare, and not likely to be seen in a retail jewelry store.

Color

Peridot’s color ranges from yellowish green to
greenish yellow. The most favored peridot color is
a richly saturated pure grass green without any hint
of yellow or brown, which is usually only achieved in
gems of 10 ct or larger. Smaller examples tend to
show yellowish green hues. Brown undertones lower
the value of peridot.

Clarity

The best-quality peridot has no eye-visible inclusions,
with perhaps a few tiny black spots—minute mineral
crystals—visible under magnification. Other inclusions
common in peridot are reflective, disk-shaped
inclusions called “lily pads.”

​Source

Peridot is found as irregular nodules (rounded rocks
with peridot crystals inside) in some lava flows in the
United States, China and Vietnam and, very rarely, as
large crystals lining veins or pockets in certain types of
solidified molten rock. Sources for the latter include
Finland, Pakistan, Myanmar and the island of Zabargad.

Treatments

Peridot is rarely treated, but might have fractures that
can be filled to improve the apparent clarity.

Peridot, one of the oldest
known gemstones, was
thought by the ancients to
dissolve enchantments,
especially if it was set
in gold.​

The color range for peridot is narrow, from a brown-green color to yellowish green to pure green. Yellowish green is the most common peridot color seen in jewelry.​

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All information are courtesy of Gemological Institute of America (GIA). OR DIAMOND are not affiliated with, connected to, or associated with GIA other than selling diamonds and gemstones graded by GIA and have GIA trained staff gemologist and accredited jewelry professional on site. 

Images courtesy: Bill Larson, Pala International; Jonte Berlon; Stephen M. Avery