Born under the astrological sign of Leo, peridot is your birthstone. birthstone. The stone is also a gift to celebrate sixteen years of marriage. Pale golden green, yellow green, apple green, olive green, brown green: peridot is available in an infinite number shades of green..
Belle Époque peridot ring set with diamonds
Stone is said to be "idiochromatic", meaning that its color comes from the chemical composition of the rock itself (iron). Did you know? Most of the time, it's the impurities within the gemstone that give it its color.
While the term "olivine" is used by geologists and mineralogists to designate the stone, it takes the name "peridot" in gem quality. A French word that may derive from the Arabic faridat meaning "precious stone". Peridot is also sometimes called "chrysolite", a name originally used to designate several gems of similar color. This old-fashioned term is said to derive from the Greek word for "golden stone", which is enough to make the king of astro signs roar with delight!
Olivine is fairly abundant on the surface of the globe, yet peridot is relatively rare. Indeed, of all the stones that come out of the mine, few can claim the title of gem.
What's more, peridots are often small in size. This is partly because of their rarity, and partly because they are moderately hard gems, rated 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Do you have it? This is a scale, from 1 to 10, used to assess the hardness of a mineral - and by hardness, we mean a rock's ability to scratch another.
Heart-shaped ring with peridot and citrines
Our average peridot can therefore be scratched or chipped relatively easily. It is also particularly sensitive to chemicals and acids. Finally, the gem has a tendency to shatter under high pressure, so closed settings are often preferred.
That's why we've taken the liberty of giving you a few maintenance tips As with opal and pearlit's best to remove your peridot jewels before washing your hands, indulging in your beauty routine or spraying on your niche perfume. In addition, clean your jewelry regularly with lukewarm, slightly soapy water (and don't forget to rinse).
Origins of peridot
Peridot collection, Smithsonian Institute, Washington D.C.
Regular readers of our journal, we hope that the notion of sexy provenance no longer holds any secrets for you. This refers to the place, often historical, where the most famous gems come from. For example emeralds Colombia. As for ruby and sapphire sapphirewe'll let you find out for yourself by clicking on the links!
Peridot is no exception. The most beautiful, bright green ones come from the Red Sea island of Zabargad, also known as Saint John's Island. It lies some 300 kilometers off the coast of Aswan.
The island's mines were already in operation 3,500 years ago, then fell into oblivion before being re-exploited at the turn of the 20th century. They are now dormant once again.
Vintage Figa hand pendant in gold, carved agate and peridots
Other classic peridot cradles include Arizona (USA), Myanmar and Pakistan.
Like sapphires and rubies, there are also star-shaped peridots with 4 to 6 asterisms, but they are extremely rare.
Peridots are often brilliant-cut, emerald-cut or mixed-cut - i.e., the crown and base are different shapes. If you're interested in this subject, take a look at our article on diamond cutting.
Peridot or emerald?
Our peridot took some time to find its place in the sun. Indeed, the Greeks and Romans had named the island of Zabargad "Topazios", so the gem first took the name of topaz.
Vintage gold, amethyst and peridot drop earrings
And then, chrysoberyl, yellow beryl, heliodore, green tourmaline, green sapphire - there are many possible confusions. Not forgetting, of course, the most famous of green beryls, a member of the select club des 4Do you have it? Peridot has sometimes been mistaken foremerald. As, for example, on the shrine of the Magi in Cologne Cathedral, which we'll talk about below, or we read from time to time that Cleopatra's emeralds (it seems that the queen even used to offer them, engraved with her profile, to visiting dignitaries)... were in fact a collection of peridots. Which, given the geographical proximity between Egypt and the Isle of Saint John, doesn't seem entirely improbable.
A common characteristic of peridot and emeraldemerald is their birefringence: this is the property of certain stones to split a ray of light passing through them. As peridot's birefringence is much greater than emerald's, you can observe doubling when you look at a peridot with a magnifying glass: its edges appear doubled.
Peridot in jewelry
Paul Veronese, Lucretia [Detail], c. 1580-1583, oil on canvas, Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum.
The gem has been used in jewelry since Roman times. It is rumoured that the Romans referred to the stone as the "evening emerald", while in ancient Egypt, peridot was believed to derive its unique color from sunlight.
It was the Crusaders who brought peridot to Central Europe in the Middle Ages. At the time, the gem was used to enhance church ornaments and adorn objects of worship, such as the shrine of the Magi. The reliquary is adorned at the top with 5 protruding peridots.
Atelier de Nicolas de Verdun, Châsse des rois mages, between 1180 and 1230, restored oak wood, silver and copper repoussé and gilding, champlevé, cloisonné and mixed enamel, brown varnish, filigree and gems, Cologne Cathedral choir.
Although peridot was sometimes used in the 18th century to adorn seals, it wasn't until the 19th century that the democratization of gemstones began. This was an era marked by political upheaval in Europe, but also by the Industrial Revolution.
In France, for example, the fall of the First Empire in 1815 gave way to the Restoration. For the first time, fashion was no longer dictated by a court. On the other hand, the country was facing a major shortage of raw materials. As a result, jewelers vied with each other in their inventiveness to create ornaments that, in the words of Henri Vever in his book La bijouterie française au XIXe siècle [Tome 1], achieved "maximum effect with minimum expense".
We recommend this reference work as a beach book (in reprint if you don't want to lose your back and your P.E.L.). For 2.0 readers, our articles on Jewelry in the 19th century (part 1 and part 2) may be a good introduction to the subject.
Less expensive gemstones are a good alternative to their precious counterparts. Peridot was particularly popular in the 1830s and 1840s. It became quite common around 1890, when the mines on Île Saint-Jean were revived. It then adorned, for example brooches (the mixture of diamonds with pale gems : amethysts, opalsperidots being relatively characteristic of the period). Our green stone is also found on pendants and necklacesoften accompanied by pearls and, for English jewelry, on 9 or 14kt settings.
Finally, peridot was particularly appreciated and used by jewellers. Art Nouveau jewelers, such as René Lalique's "Noisettes" necklace shown below.
René Lalique, Necklace [Noisettes] [Détail], 1899-1900, gold, translucent enamel, eleven peridots, diamonds and glass, Paris, Musée des Arts Décoratifs.
Peridot jewelry from the Victorian era has become relatively rare on the market. With a little patience, however, you may be able to find one, or even a nice piece. Belle Époque. A little more common is the stone associated withamethyst on the suffragette jewelry featured in our article Violet Tales. Finally, lovers of this gemstone will find it easier to turn to vintage pieces (from the 60s-70s).
At Galerie Pénélope, we occasionally have jewels adorned with peridots, but they go fast... so, Lions, keep your eyes peeled, because the hunt is on!
Don't be jealous if you weren't born in August. here your birthstone.