August’s Birthstone – Peridot.
August’s Birthstone – Peridot.
Published onA Guide to August’s Birthstone – Peridot
The birthstone for August is Peridot. Star signs, Leo and Virgo.
Peridot has been the official birthstone for August since 1912 and is the only gemstone that comes in one colour, green. The French word “Peridot” comes from the Arabic word “Faridat” meaning “gem”. They clearly didn’t think too long and hard when naming it!
Colour
Peridot varies in different shades of green, from a light-yellow green to deep olive. The amount of iron in the crystal structure determines the shade of green in the stone. The most commonly used colour in jewellery is yellow-green, which looks like the colour of fresh grass. Some of the rarer deeper greens in larger stones have been mistaken for Emeralds until technology improved, and we could see the difference.
Source
Deposits of peridot can be found worldwide, the most famous being on the island of Zabargad in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt. Other deposits are located in New Mexico, Myanmar, Brazil, and a new deposit has been found in Sardinia. Peridot is the only gemstone other than Diamonds to be formed in the earth’s mantle. Peridot has also been found in meteorites, meaning that this gemstone also exists in space!
Attributes
This gemstone was used to protect against the evil eye in ancient times. It would be set in to gold and worn as a talisman. As a cleansing stone, it can help to rid us of guilt, burdens or obsessions and help us move forward with our lives. It is also said to help alleviate jealousy and enhance confidence.
Did you know that Cleopatra’s famous Emerald collection is now thought to be mainly Peridot?
The tomb of The Three Holy Kings in Germany was also thought to be adorned in 200 carats of Emeralds, these also turned out to be Peridot.
Healing
Peridot has an excellent tonic effect on the body. It will benefit the skin, regenerate tissue and strengthen your metabolism. It can also help to calm the mind of people that struggle mentally. When placed on the abdomen during labour it can lessen the pain while strengthening the muscle contractions.
Chakra
As a green stone you can use Peridot when working with your heart chakra. If your heart chakra is blocked you may find it hard to build good relationships, feel lonely, anxious or shy. Peridot will help to un-block this chakra and bring feelings of joy, bliss and unconditional love.
If you are looking for some beautiful Peridot jewellery, we have some lovely examples on line or in store.