PERIDOT - The August Birthstone

The vivid green of Peridot, with just a slight hint of gold, is the ideal gemstone to go with that light summer wardrobe!

Peridot comes from the mineral Peridotite, and is closely related to Olivine and Serpentine. It’s name comes from the Greek word “Peridona” which - loosely translated means “to give richness”.

Peridot was called the “Gem of the Sun” by the ancients, and was believed to have the power to dissolve enchantments and put evil to flight.  When held under the tongue, it was believed to lessen the thirst from fever - when powdered, it was used as a remedy for asthma.

Some believed that Peridot protected its owner from “terrors of the night,” especially when it was set in gold. Others strung the gems on donkey hair and tied them around their left arms to ward off evil spirits.

People throughout the centuries have, at times, confused peridot with emerald. For centuries, many believed the fabulous 200-ct. gems adorning the shrine of the Three Holy Kings in Germany’s Cologne Cathedral were emeralds. They are, in fact, Peridots.  Some historians believe that Cleopatra’s famous Emerald collection might actually have been Peridot.