How to clean it
Soapy water only. Sensitive to acid and rapid temperature change, so no steam and no ultrasonic.
Yellow-green to olive
Peridot
The birthstone for August.
Properties
Composition
Magnesium iron silicate ((Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄) — gem-quality olivine
Hardness (Mohs)
6.5–7
Crystal system
Orthorhombic
Colour
Yellow-green to olive
Mined in
Pakistan, Myanmar, USA (Arizona), China, Egypt
Worth knowing
Peridot arrives on Earth in meteorites — pallasite meteorites carry gem-quality crystals formed beyond this planet.
History
Mined on the Egyptian island of Zabargad for over 3500 years.
Practical
Caring for Peridot
How to tell it is real
Green glass is the common fake. Peridot has unusually strong double refraction — look through it at a straight line and the line appears doubled.
One general rule covers most mistakes: never store stones loose together. Diamond at 10 on the Mohs scale scratches everything else you own, and it does not need much contact to do it.
What that hardness means in practice
Softer than household dust. Better in earrings or a pendant than in a ring, where it takes constant knocks.
Traditional associations
Peridot is traditionally linked to lightness, release of resentment and fresh perspective. In chakra systems it is placed at the Heart, Solar Plexus, and in elemental correspondence it is assigned to Earth.
These are cultural associations recorded across various traditions, not claims about physical effects. The composition and hardness above are measurable; this paragraph is folklore, and worth reading as such.
Questions
What is Peridot made of?
Magnesium iron silicate ((Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄) — gem-quality olivine, crystallising in the orthorhombic system.
Which month is Peridot the birthstone for?
August.
Where does Peridot come from?
Pakistan, Myanmar, USA (Arizona), China, Egypt.
How do I clean Peridot?
Soapy water only. Sensitive to acid and rapid temperature change, so no steam and no ultrasonic.
How can I tell if Peridot is real?
Green glass is the common fake. Peridot has unusually strong double refraction — look through it at a straight line and the line appears doubled.
Can I wear it every day?
At 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, not in a ring. Keep it to pieces that take fewer knocks.