Consumer Information

What color is it?: Generally yellowish green to medium dark green

What is the story behind this gemstone?: For openers that word is "per-i-doh" not "per-i-dot" Unless, of course you drive a "chev-ro-let" instead of a "chev-ro-lay". Beyond that this is a gemstone that is coming of age. They have a soft color to them due to some unusual gemological properties that I will not bore you with in this section. But suffice it to say that peridot is a beautiful stone that wears well and looks beautiful with a lot of your wardrobe.

Can I wear it everyday?: Absolutely! Peridot is a very long wearing gemstone.

Is it expensive?: No. Peridot should be priced along the same lines as a nice tourmaline or garnet.

Is it a birthstone?: Yes...August

What do I need to know before going shopping?: There is a rather nasty peridot imitation stone being sold in some stores called synthetic forsterite. This is a very good imitation that is actually a type of synthetic peridot. So stay with a professional, independent jeweler when you shop for peridot. They will be the only people who can make sure you are getting the real thing.

General Information

Source: World wide...like the beach rocks in Hawaii

Chemical: (Mg,Fe2) SiO4 magnesium iron silicate

Formation: In volcanic rocks

Crystal System: Orthorhombic

Unusual Properties: Doubling of facets. If you look inside a peridot with a magnifying glass you will never be able to focus the back facet junctions. The stone splits the beam of light into two separate beams that cannot be focused.

Gemological information on this page has been provided by the

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