If August was a gemstone it definitely would be peridot and it just so happens that it's the birthstone! I think of August as the hottest month, the month that you start longing for fall, and the month that everything in Florida seems to be at its peak in greenness. Peridot as a gemstone embodies all those traits for me. It has a vivid lime green color that makes me think of pool floaties, cut lime wedges in cold beverages, and the lime green summer dresses that make your tan look deeper. The green color is also a wonderful transition color from summer to fall.
Peridot has a long history on God's "green earth" but also it has been found in fallen meteors and its main mineral, "olivine" has been found on mars! It literally is "out of this world." All puns aside, peridot is just stunning. It is one of the only gemstones that only comes in the color of green. As many artists know, green comes in many, many different shades and hues; peridot does too. The tones range from yellowish-green to dark brownish-green, just like the changing leaves of fall.
Down to some nitty gritty fun facts about the glowing green peridot:
~ Peridot has "double refraction", meaning that you see two of each pavilion facet. Which in plain English equals MORE SPARKLE and more color saturation being registered back to your eye.
~ Peridot is not usually treated in any way due to its excellent transparency and intense natural color from the iron content.
~ Some historians believe that the famous emeralds that were loved by Cleopatra were actually peridots. Ancient Romans actually referred to peridots as "evening emeralds" since their green intensity did not darken when the sun went down.
~ Peridot is believed to be the gem that Napoleon gave Josephine to declare his love for her.
~ Peridot has a pretty durable hardness and is comparable to quartz which can be worn daily under reasonable care.
~ Main peridot sources include Burma, Pakistan, China, Vietnam, and the United States (Arizona is the largest contributor).
So whether you love or hate the intense gemstone that is peridot, you can appreciate its unique nature and its historical stamp on our jewelry world. Check out a few peridot accented beauties in our store this month. And Happy Birthday to our August babies!
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