Peridot is perhaps a little known gemstone but it is one worth your consideration if you are looking for something with color yet perhaps not too expensive. It has often been mistaken as emerald through time due to its rich green hue. It only exists in shades of green with deep olive green the most prized examples. This August birth stone gets its color from iron. Click on an item to compare prices and find deals on peridot rings from multiple retailers or read on to find out more about Aquamarine gemstone jewelry….
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It was popular in Ancient times but has for long periods being completely ignored. The discovery of very large deposits on the Pakistan Afghanistan border two decades ago at a height of over 4000m resulted in its value dropping.
Settings
Peridot gemstone rings are usually made in settings suitable for an engagement ring or a cocktail ring. You may decide on a nice stone and forget how best it might be presented. Certainly the color is appealing but a classical setting can complete the job.
A prong setting has been the most popular for many years especially for Peridot engagement rings. The stone can be raised prominently, perhaps surrounded by smaller stones. Peridot’s color is the first thing to catch the eye. The bezel setting effectively encases the stone which affords it some protection. Multi stone settings provide a third classic option perhaps in association with other gemstones.
There are modern settings as well for Peridot rings with the invisible setting as popular as any with the stone held from below to emphasize the stone more than the metal.
You can see excellent examples of settings online as part of your buying process with the alternative of buying existing stock or getting a specific setting fashioned for a loose stone.
Metal
Peridot jewelry is at its best where the metal takes second place behind the color of the stone. It means that there is less use of yellow gold than silver and white gold. Certainly a light colored neutral metal allows the olive green of the Peridot to make its greatest impact.
Myth
Peridot was very popular in Egypt and there is every likelihood that the green gemstones of Cleopatra were in fact Peridot rather than Emerald. The deposits near the Red Sea were eventually abandoned before the mines were reopened at the beginning of the last century. The Egyptians regarded the stone as a talisman that would ward off evil spirits.
It was thought that Peridot was the gemstone on the breastplates of the Jewish High Priests but no examples have ever been found. It was the Crusaders who introduced this gemstone to Western Europe where it has had varying popularity since.
The Egyptian deposits are now exhausted but other parts of the World can satisfy the demand that has grown as women realize the beauty of this olive green stone. It is found in parts of the USA, Brazil and Myanmar, Pakistan and Sri Lanka in Asia among other places.
If you want a colorful jewelry box, Peridot is a fine colorful example of a relatively inexpensive gemstone that should find its place inside it.