Ancestor or peridot rough stone is one of the few stones that can be seen in olive green color. Peridot stone is one of the ancient stones of the Middle East that has been mined for more than 4000 years and in the past, the properties of emerald stone were used as a spell of good luck and increase wealth and blessings. This gem is also known as Olivine due to its special olive color in mining science
History of peridot or emerald stone
Peridot stone has a very long written history and was recorded in ancient papyri mining in 1500 BC. Some historians suspect that some of the emeralds used by Cleopatra (Queen of Egypt) were Peridot. About three hundred years ago, the French named this mineral Peridot
Some have said that it is derived from the Arabic word Faridat meaning gemstone or from the Greek word Peridona meaning “rich in blessings”. In the past, all green gems, including peridot, were called chrysolite, which means gold in Greek
The ancient Egyptians called this mineral Topazian because the only known source at the time on Topazian Island, also known as Emerald Island, was in the Red Misty Sea. For this reason, in the past, it was also called topaz. In the Middle Ages, the Crusaders brought it with them to Europe and it was used in churches, but it was also very popular among the general public
Mineralogical characteristics of peridot (emerald)
Peridot is a transparent gemstone from the Olivine family with a hardness of 6.5 to 7, which forms a group of iron-magnesium-rich silicate minerals. Emerald is one of the rare gems that is characterized by a single olive green color. This gem has incomplete clearance, glass polish and light refraction of 1.690 to 1.654
Olivine, of which peridot is a type, is a common mineral in mafic and ultramafic rocks and is often found in lavas and alien mantle peridotite rocks that reach the earth’s surface by lavas; But it is found only in small parts of the mentioned areas
Peridot Star samples are very rare and have been seen in limited numbers
In Russia, there are pre-cut jewels known as celestial jewels, the crystals of which fell from a meteor and were obtained in 1749 in eastern Siri. It has also been seen in celestial rocks. It is interesting to know that in 2003, scientists discovered peridot rock on the planet Mars
What is the color of emerald stone
For a long time, emerald was called “night emerald” because of its bright green color under artificial light. The intensity of the green color in emerald stone depends on the amount of iron in the crystal structure, and therefore the color of this gem may change from yellow to olive and to a greenish-brown. The phenomenon of multicolor in this gem, unlike other stones, is not observed as multicolor and is actually idiochromatic due to its chemical structure
Emerald does not have the phenomenon of Florence. Its crystalline form is orthorhombic and it is usually cut into plates (mixed and stepped), cabochons and nuts. Jewelers are often surprised to see the large size of this gem because it is usually small. One of the rare types of this emerald mineral is cat and star eyes
How to identify the original peridot or emerald
It is generally not cost-effective to make a synthetic or synthetic type in the laboratory, although it is rare that dark peridot can be converted to a lighter, lighter color by heating. The phenomenon of strong double failure in this mineral is a good characteristic for its detection.
Although olivine is a relatively abundant mineral found in the form of small, unusable ornamental grains, peridot is relatively rare. Alvin gemstones are commonly found on the surface of the earth, although some brilliant varieties are suitable for jewelery. Large crystals of forsterite (a type of olivine) that can often be cut and used as peridot gemstones are rare, which is why they are so expensive
In the picture above, you can see the needle-shaped inclusions in Emerald, which are made of Ludwigite and Vonsenite minerals. In thick crystals and gems, you can also see the duplication of the sides of the bottom of the crystal or gem with the naked eye. Peridot may be mistaken for green crystals similar to chrysoberyl, dementoid or green garnet, diopside, moldavite, praziolyb, pernite, cyanhalite, emerald, synthetic spinel, and idocrase
As you can see in the picture above, some peridots have the inclusion of Lily pad or lotus and can only be seen in this stone. This inclusion is sometimes seen in the form of a thin disk with lines
Sources and reserves of peridot stone
The most important historical find of Peridot on the volcanic island of St. John. John’s Island is located in the Red Sea, 300 km east of Aswan. In Australia, Burma (Muguk), China, Egypt, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, USA (Arizona, New Mexico, Hawaii) and Vietnam are the most important sources and reserves of emeralds. Peridot rock hunting is done at night because they have a significant brightness in the moonligh
On the island of Zeberget, it is said that hunting this gem is very dangerous due to the presence of snakes. In Pakistan, emeralds are abundant in the western Himalayan mountains at an altitude of 15,000 feet. Of course, these areas are under the protection of the Pakistani government. The gems of this region as well as Kashmir are very faint but bright and are more like the color of green apple or lemon
In general, the sources of this gem exist all over the world. After Burma, Myanmar, the United States has been the largest producer of peridot stone for many years. The value of its products reached $ 1.5 million in 1993. Today, the United States is competing fiercely with China and Pakistan for the world’s largest producer
The largest emerald in the world
A peridot weighing 2 to 3 carats is a precious gem and a good sample weighing 8 carats is very rare. Stones of this weight are collectible and museum specimens. At the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., a 311.8-carat piece of emerald is held
Generally, the price of emeralds in sizes higher than 20 carats is quite expensive and rare, and in sizes higher than 50 carats, there is a significant increase in their price. Very large, high-quality peridots were obtained from deposits in Myanmar known for their high-quality, high-color 20- to 40-carat rocks
How is Peridot maintained
Peridot is a brittle rock and is sensitive to heat and chemicals. So stay away from cosmetics. Its luster is glassy or oily and decomposes under the influence of sulfuric acid. This gem is not resistant to high pressure and is often covered with a thin metal coating against impact
