Discover Peridot

The ancient Egyptians weren't far off when they anointed this August birthstone the 'Gem Of The Sun.'

They mined the vibrant green stone on the Red Sea island of Zabargad. Thousands of years later, modern scientists have proven that August's official birthstone is truly extraterrestrial, as it has been found embedded within meteorites and scattered across the surface of Mars.

Gemstone Odyssey

While nearly all of the peridot that you see in your jeweler's showcase was born deep within the Earth's mantel, some very special specimens originated in deep space.

Did you know that translucent gem-quality peridot is a prominent part of a stony-iron meteorite called a pallasite? The formation contains large gem crystals in a silvery honeycomb of nickel-iron.

A beautiful example of this phenomenon is seen in the Esquel meteorite that was presumed to be formed from an ancient planetoid that blasted apart eons ago.

A second example is the Marjalahti, a 99-pound meteorite that crashed into Karelia, Russia, in 1902. The territory at the time was controlled by Finland, so the specimen resides at the Geological Museum of the University of Helsinki.

Red Planet Rarity

Peridot is credited with being the first gem to be discovered on another planet. The Mars landing of 2003 revealed that green peridot crystals — in the form of the gem's less-precious cousin, olivine — cover about 19,000 square miles of the Red Planet's surface.

The world's largest faceted peridot weighs 310 carats and is part of the Smithsonian’s National Gem and Mineral Collection.

New Peridot Designs

The house collection currently features some gorgeous examples, such as these pear shaped drop earrings, with 6.58 total carats set on 14-karat white gold and round brilliant-cut diamond huggies. 

These halo earrings showcase over 20 total carats of trillion cut peridot surrounded by brilliant cut pavé diamonds in a platinum setting.

Peridot, Also the 16th Anniversary Gemstone

Colors range from pure green to yellowish-green to greenish-yellow, but the finest hue is green without any hint of yellow or brown, according to the Gemological Institute of America. Explore the entire collection today.