The Extraterrestrial Gemstone

Posted on August 04, 2015

Peridot is the birthstone for August and the traditional anniversary stone for the 15th anniversary.

Peridot ranges in color from brown-green to yellowish-green to pure green. Generally the pure green color is only achieved in gems that are 10 carats or larger. The most common color peridot is vibrant yellowish-green.

Most peridot is formed deep inside the earth and is delivered to the surface by volcanoes. In rare instances, peridot can also be found in meteorites. Peridot has been discovered in pallasite meteorites (remnants of our solar system's birth) and in comet dust brought back from the Stardust robotic space probe in 2005. Peridot found in space is very rare and it is very unlikely that it would be found in retail stores.

Records show that ancient Egyptians mined peridot from an island in the Red Sea. This leads some historians to believe that Cleopatra's famous emerald collection was actually a collection of peridot.