Peridot a variety of the mineral olivine, with a vivid green colouring and one of the few gemstones which only comes in one colour. Its colour is caused by iron ions and can vary from a yellow-green to a brownish-green depending on the amount of iron present.

Peridot is named after the French word Peridot, meaning gold, because the mineral can vary towards this color. Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August. It is also the stone given to celebrate the 16th year of marriage. Peridot has a very long written history. Ancient papyri record the mining of these stones as early as 1500 BC. In Ancient times, Peridot stones were used for carved talismans. Island habitants were forced to collect the gems for the Pharaoh’s treasury. Legend says that jealous watchers who had orders to put to death any trespassers guarded the entire island. The story continues that the miners worked in the daytime as well as night, as the gems could be found after nightfall due to their radiance. The miners would mark the spot at night for retrieval the following day.