Peridot Value, Cost, and Jewelry Facts

Peridot Value, Cost, and Jewelry Facts

In the vast expanse of our planet, a unique gemstone emerges, its origins deeply rooted in the Earth's mantle and brought to the surface by volcanic activity. This gemstone is none other than the enchanting Peridot.

Peridots, a gem-quality variety of olivine, can be found in various locations across the globe, each source reflecting the gemstone's formation conditions. The United States, particularly Arizona's San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation and Peridot Mesa, is a major source, accounting for 80-95% of gem-quality peridot globally. The vibrant green hues of peridots from Arizona are a testament to its dominance in the market.

Myanmar (Burma) and Pakistan, notably Kashmir and the Pakistan-Afghanistan border areas, produce peridots with particularly vivid green hues and excellent clarity. These high-quality gems are highly sought after for their deep green shades.

China, Vietnam, Australia, Brazil, Kenya, Mexico, South Africa, Tanzania, and parts of Hawaii with volcanic basalt sands also yield peridots, albeit with varying qualities. Hawaii is home to peridotite sands known as "green sand beaches."

The signature green colour of peridots is caused by iron, an essential element of their chemical structure. This colour remains unchanged under different lighting, unlike many other gemstones. A distinctive characteristic of peridot is the presence of "lily pad" inclusions—small circular internal features resembling lily pads, caused by tiny cracks or minerals such as chromite. These are considered natural identification markers rather than flaws.

Peridots have some sensitivity to acids, even those found in perspiration. As a result, they require careful handling and cleaning. Instead of using mechanical methods such as ultrasonic or steam systems, peridots should be cleaned with a soft brush, mild detergent, and warm water.

Notably, most peridots don't normally receive treatments, but some cut peridots may be metal-foiled to improve their stability and colour. Synthetic peridots, grown for experimental purposes, may only differ from natural gems by their inclusions.

The term "chrysolite" was historically used to refer to peridots, but gemologists today no longer use this term. The modern August birthstone is peridot, and it is also known for producing rare cat's eye and star stone peridots.

The Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC), Royal Ontario Museum (Toronto, Ontario, Canada), Devonian Group (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), Geological Museum, London, Topkapi Museum, Istanbul, and Private Collections hold large peridots, with the largest known crystal from Norway residing in a European collection.

Peridots belong to the forsterite-fayalite solid-solution series, which forms part of the olivine group of minerals. Their structure gives them very strong double refraction, which can produce doubling and fuzziness effects.

Despite the commercial availability of lab-created peridots being limited, many peridot lookalikes or simulants, such as synthetic corundum, spinel gems, cubic zirconia, emeralds, demantoid garnets, and green glass, can be found on the market.

Peridotite, an igneous rock made primarily of olivine and pyroxene, makes up most of the upper mantle. Scientists have synthesized both forsterite and peridot olivines using melt techniques. Synthetic peridots can be distinguished from natural ones due to lower specific gravity (SG) and refractive index (RI) values as well as chromium-related features.

Under 10X magnification, peridots often reveal distinctive, disk-like liquid-and-gas inclusions known as "lily pad" inclusions or "lotus leaves." These unique features add to the charm of this gemstone, which has extraterrestrial origins, as they have been found in Pallasite meteorites.

In conclusion, peridots, with their vibrant green hues and distinctive characteristics, offer a fascinating glimpse into the Earth's mantle and the processes that bring gemstones to the surface. Whether found in Arizona, Myanmar, Pakistan, or any other location, each peridot tells a unique story of its journey from the depths of the Earth to your fingertips.

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