Peridot, the birthstone for August. This month we have chosen to tell the history of this pretty green stone and the story about the designers 'Pebble' who use it within their collections.
A beautiful, lively green semi-precious stone named by the Egyptians as the ‘gem of the sun’. Summery, sparkly and intense in colour, the peridot is an old treasured gemstone that is now fashionable once again. This national stone of Egypt was once thought to of fallen from the sky and has always had a strong association with light. This ancient belief rang true in 2004 when NASA confirmed that mineral particles found in space were in fact Olivine, a variety of peridot. These particles have been found in meteorites which have fallen into infant stars proving that the Egyptian’s theory was pretty accurate after all.
Most Peridot however is formed deep inside the Earth and brought to the surface by volcanoes. An impressive journey for such a desirable gemstone!
Peridot is one of the few stones that come only in one colour. As pure green stones are rare, the majority of peridot stones show a more yellow green tone. The more intense the colour the more precious they become, in fact the stunning green stones that adorned Cleopatra’s famous emerald collection may be peridot. This is a common mistake made throughout history with not only peridots but also the misconception between rubies and red spinels including those in our very own crown jewels!
The fresh, summer toned sparkle of this gemstone works wonderfully when cut into spectacular facets that catch the light. Statement necklaces from London based designers Pebble have caught the attention of many customers who are searching for the perfect fashionable piece. Pebble’s love for natural materials is evident throughout their collections, showcasing some amazing organic shaped stones in a variety of jewel like colours. Their designs are simple but certainly have the wow factor, the ethos behind the brand being that you cannot improve on nature.
Whether you choose a peridot as a birthstone or simply because you adore its radiant colour, this is a gemstone that has had an exciting history and a stone that will always have its place in jewellery.