Peridot
Our Peridot Collection
Treatment / Enhancement
There is currently no known treatment for peridot, making it an excellent selection for the collector who wishes the purest gemstone.
Origin
Peridot was first discovered by Egyptian slaves on the island of Zabargad in the middle of the Red Sea. This location has not produced fine gemstones for scores of years. Today larger peridots come mostly from Burma and Pakistan. The Burmese gemstones are usually the finest color. Smaller peridot (under 5 carats) that are used for manufacturing production are found in Arizona. Other producing locations include China, Kenya and Sri Lanka.
Folklore
The Hawaiian island of Oahu has beaches composed of tiny peridot grains. In ancient times these grains were considered the tears of the goddess, Pele. However, there is no definitive derivative for the name peridot. The Egyptians, French and English all claim to have some linguistic tie to the gemstone.
Care
Peridot is 6.5 to 7 in hardness, but not very tough. It abades rather easily and therefore should not be heated, steamed, or put into the ultrasonic. Peridots cannot take most acid treatments.