Peridot jewelry is especially brilliant under low light or in the evening. It looks more like an emerald at those times.
It’s origins can be traced back to biblical times when it was mentioned in the book of Revelations. It is also rumored the the famed emerald collection of Cleopatra was a collection of peridots. She was enchanted with its sparkle and luster. During that time the peridot was also used to decorate the collection plates in churches.
As the national gem of Egypt, it is held in high regard. This may well be due to the stones ability to reflect light and give it all of its sparkle.
Peridots have been mined on St. John’s Island, which it is said was once inhabited by poisonous snakes.
The pharaohs had all of the snakes killed and transformed the island into a mining area. Today they are mined in Norway, the Hawaiian islands, Burma and the islands that border the Red Sea.
The peridot is not a hard stone. Care needs to be taken with the cleaning of the stone and storage. Also caution should be used if you are engaging in any physical activity that would damage its luster. You should also use caution with the exposure to direct sunlight, as the stone will fade.
Through the years the peridot has been more difficult to find. There is a huge, impressive display at the Smithsonian. In this day and time, you will not find many large carat size peridots. If you are fortunate enough to find one, prepare to pay a hefty price. However, when being made into a ring, pendant or other piece of jewelry, it can be surrounded or accompanied by other stones very nicely.
The Sardonyx is the alternate birthstone for the month of August. It is in the same family as the onyx and it is difficult to find details that would make it differ, except for the brilliant color. The sardonyx has red, white and/or black lines running through it and is quite a striking stone that can easily be made into many different types of jewelry.
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