Peridot: The August Birthstone

Peridot is the vibrant birthstone of August. A unique stone with a striking colour and such interesting properties.

In this blog post, we delve into the history, formation and properties of peridot, as well as showcase some peridot jewellery designs you can easily make yourself to give as a gift.

As big fans of peridot, we supply the stone in a range of cuts, shapes and sizes for jewellery making.

Peridot Facts

Colour: Yellow-green, olive green, brownish, honey, bottle green. Ideally a rich rich 'oily' green.

Appearance: Opaque - clear crystal when faceted and polished.

Rarity: Easily obtained - high-quality crystals are rare.

Moh's Hardness: 6.5 - 7.

Sourced: China, Brazil, Egypt, Ireland, Russia, Australia, Hawaii, South Africa.

Formation and History: Peridot is a variety of the mineral olivine. It is a magnesium iron silicate mineral and occurs in basalts and peridotite rocks. Iron causes the colour within this gemstone and the amount present determines the shade and depth of the green.

Peridot was brought to Europe by 'The Crusaders' in the Middle Ages. It came from St. Johns Island (Egypt) in the Red Sea where it had been mined for over 3,500 years. In Europe the stone was often used for religious purposes.

The meaning of the name Peridot is uncertain. Some believe it derives from the Greek language, however it is also said to be a French word that possibly derived from the Arabic word 'faridat' meaning gem.

Properties:  As a highly spiritual stone, peridot used to be believed to keep away evil and spirits. It is a protective stone and one that is particularly helpful for healers. It is believed to be a visionary crystal that helps you to understand your destiny and your spiritual purpose.

The stone is known as a powerful cleanser that neutralises toxins on all levels. It is an excellent source of high-frequency vibrations that is said to help multiply your wealth and increase your health.

In The Crystal Bible by Judy Hall, peridot is described as a stone that alleviates jealousy, resentment, spite and anger and reduces stress. It is believed to enhance confidence and assertion without aggression.

Peridot Healing: Peridot is a strong healing crystal, said to heal and regenerate tissues. 

Placed on the abdomen, many believe that it aids giving birth by strengthening the muscle contractions and reducing the pain!


Jewellery Designs Using Peridot

We love peridot here at Kernowcraft and think it is a beautiful and very versatile stone. It has a strong unique colour that looks good when used with both gold and silver.

As a faceted stone it can create a very classic, timeless look, yet as a cabochon or bead it can create a very pretty and fashionable design. 

Silver Dragonflys: "Peridot for August birthstone, one of my favorite colours. The earrings are peridot, the ring has a prehnite stone with some lovely strands of peridot surrounding."

A beautiful peridot ring made by Julia from Bijoux De Chagall. 

Gold Peridot Bracelet

This bracelet looks really effective, yet is so simple to make, plus, you get to use magical crimping pliers, an amazing tool for transforming 2x2mm crimps into neat, little round beads, adding a professional finish to your jewellery!

Silver Peridot Necklace

This simple necklace will only take you minutes to make and is a perfect gift for someone.

Did you know that peridot is the birthstone for August? This would make such a lovely gift for a friend's birthday.

Peridot Daisy Chain Necklace

The necklace design is really easy to make and needs only some pliers and wire cutters for the wire work - a great project to practice basic wire wrapping skills!

Watch How To Make These Peridot Earrings


Resources:

  • The Crystal Bible - Judy Hall
  • Gemstones - Woodward, Oldershaw, Hearding. 
  • The Illustrated Dictionary of Healing Crystals - Cassandra Eason
  • Gemstones of The World - Walter Schumann
  • Sunny Ray


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