Pharaoh's Peridot

Peridot is a well-known gemstone with a history that dates back to the Pharaohs of Egypt. Its color ranges from light green to deep olive green, and it often has a yellowish tint. The most beautiful peridot gemstones, ones fit for a Pharaoh, have a deep olive-green color with good color saturation and excellent clarity.

Peridot is an "idiochromatic" gem, meaning it gets its color from iron in its chemical structure. When more iron is present, the gems will display more green.

The peridot gem in the video below is an excellent example of the color and clarity you will see in fine peridot - this gems cutting is excellent, and the gem is from Myanmar.

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Peridot is the birthstone of August and the appropriate stone to gift at the 16th anniversary.

In ancient times peridot was found at a single source - the Red Sea. Since then, the large amount of peridot discoveries has sparked an interest in the stone. Sources that are producing the highest quality Peridot are Myanmar, China, Pakistan, the USA, and Afghanistan.

The beauty of these findings is the abundance of flawless, large pieces that are available for purchase today. Not to mention its attractive price below $65 per ct for top quality stones, in large sizes. As for value, we have recently added a lot of Chinese peridot to our inventory with some excellent bargains. Gemstones in this lot are less-than or around $10 per ct.

Peridot and Sapphire Refractive Index Comparison

$Peridot and Sapphire Refractive Index Comparison$

Peridot is a doubly refractive gem with a high refractive index - these qualities are similar to sapphire. But, peridot has a higher birefringence making its fire exceptional, especially compared to sapphire. Peridot's vitreous luster and excellent sparkle are sure to impress through the day and the night.

Peridot qualities and interesting facts

Peridot has many commonalities with precious gems, even the way it forms. Just like a diamond, peridot forms deep inside of the earth's mantle. It is brought to the earth's surface by volcanic activities. Another interesting peridot fact is its extraterrestrial presence.

Discoveries of peridot inside of certain meteorites are evidence of its alien origin. Unfortunately, the extraterrestrial peridot is not for jewelry and extremely rare.

Amazingly, this gem's appearance under artificial light often resembles that of emerald, without the hefty price tag. Because of this, peridot is said to be an excellent emerald substitute.

Peridot Hardness Durability and Care

Peridot is a relatively hard gemstone with a 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale of hardness. Peridot gemstones are excellent for pendants due to their abundance in large sizes. They are also great for earrings and pairs can be purchased for as little as $3.50. Peridot rings are an excellent choice, but because of its hardness, a protective setting and proper storage are advisable.

This gem is suitable for all types of jewelry and settings except tension or pressure settings.

When cleaning peridot, we advise using warm soapy water to remove any oil or residue. Next, giving it a good rinse making sure no soap is leftover. Then, use a soft cloth to dry it. You should be careful not to expose your peridot to any extreme heat or hard knocks as these will surely damage your gem. As they say with many good things in life "take good care of it, and it will take care of you."

Hurry up and get shopping, because there's a peridot gem with your name on it.

August's Featured Items

This month our featured gemstones are kunzite, spinel, and tourmaline.

Kunzite is becoming increasingly popular in the gemstone market, so we have many high-quality gems in our inventory. Large pieces with saturated color and flawless clarity are affordable and abundant. The beautiful kunzite we have is perfect for evening pendants and cocktail rings.

Spinel is one of the alternate birthstones for August. It is also a stunning gem that has many similarities to ruby and sapphire. We always have a great selection of spinel in pastel shades and deeper colors. The spinel we have in stock now is ideal for rings and pendants. If you are considering an earring, I suggest searching through our spinel lots.

Tourmaline's a distinguished group of gems for many reasons - for one it is available in every color under the sun. Many tourmaline gems will display multiple colors in a single stone - their beauty is like no other. It is a go-to stone amongst collectors and jewelers.

With all the color possibilities and shapes, the sky is the limit for collectors and jewelry designers alike. Rings and pendants are perfect design ideas for this gem. And, if you are looking for something a little bit different check out our carved pieces that would make lovely, one of a kind designs.

Customer FAQs - Ask Us

Every month we answer questions of general interest from our customers. Please feel free to send your questions or suggestions to our support team at help@gemselect.com!

Question

Where is Morganite found?

Answer

Morganite is a pink variety of Beryl and is found in many locations around the world. The most significant areas are the pegmatite mines in Minas Gerais, Brazil, Madagascar and Afghanistan. Morganite can form very large crystals and miners in Brazil have found crystals weighing over 10kg each!

Question

Hi, I've heard the term window in regards to gemstones. What does this mean?

Answer

In a well-cut faceted gem, the pavilion facets (those on the lower half of the stone) should reflect light back out of the top (table) of the stone. If the facets are cut below the critical angle for the particular material, light will pass through the stone instead of being reflected back towards the eye. When this happens, the gem will lose much of the sparkle and brilliance.

Try holding your gemstone over a piece of paper with some text on it. Looking down through the table of the gem, if you can clearly read the text through the stone, it has a window. Almost all gemstones will exhibit some degree of windowing, but the lesser the better.

In addition, all gemstones will exhibit what is referred to as a 'tilt window'. Even the well-cut stone will have areas that appear colorless when viewed at certain angles. It should also be noted that when it comes to colored stones, color is still the most important factor. Buying windowed gemstones isn't always bad, especially for opportunists. It can be a great way to save money if color or carat weight is more important to the buyer.

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Happy Gemstone Hunting!

Team GemSelect

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