Fantastic Finds Info

Yes, really! Back before man populated the Earth, flaming meteors whipped into our planet, blasting giant holes in the Earth, creating volcanoes and other violations of the planet’s surface.  In the centuries that followed, volcanoes released steaming, molten streams of a hauntingly beautiful lime green substance. As modern excavators  explored ancient meteor sites the same material was seen as a part of a meteor.  Today, we call this beautiful  material ” peridot.” It was found first in Russia  where meteorites  collided with earth.  Yes,  Earth really does  has gemstones from outer space!

Peridot was found in many ancient cultures.  It was found in Egyptian jewelry as early as the 2nd millennium BC. Archaelogists found the probable source of these jewels at mine sites  long exhausted  on a volcanic island in the Red Sea about 45 miles off the coast of Aswan.

Peridot is the official birthstone for August. It is an appropriate  gift for a 16th wedding anniversary. It is the stone for the Zodiac sign of Libra! References to it as chrysolite, and “evening emeralds” are found throughout ancient literature and art.  The fabled breastplates of the Hebrew high priests were decorated with peridot. In the Bible it is called “pisdah.”  The Romans breastplates were also decorated with peridot.  It is believed that many of Cleopatra’s “emeralds” were really peridot!  Do you suppose Mark Anthony gave them to her?   We know that Napoleon gave peridot gems to Josephine as a token of his undying love!  Would you like to visit a beach where the sand is peridot?  Stay tuned and I will tell you where!

Tags: birthstone colors, birthstones, unique gemstone pendants, white gold amethyst rings