

For example, the Cologne Cathedral in Germany has a holy Shrine of the Three Kings adorned in peridot. The name, peridot, comes from faridat, the Arabic word for gem.Īs a protective stone, ancient people adorned themselves in this green jewel to fight evil spirits and night terrors.įor centuries, people have confused peridot for other gemstones like topaz and emerald. Peridot's origins trace to Topazios, an island in the Red Sea, dating back to the 2nd century BC. The history and symbolism of the August birthstone peridot are fascinating. Olivine also travels to Earth with meteorites from space. As the lava hardens, it rises to the Earth's surface. Olivine is prevalent in the lava that pours into the Earth's mantle. Understandably so, considering it looks beautiful when set into jewelry pieces! Of all the variations of peridot, deep olive green is the most prized and valuable. Ultimately, peridot's coloring depends on how much iron is present in the gem's crystalline structure. Of course, you'll encounter a variety of shades and hues on the green spectrum. Its coloring is due to a mineral called olivine, and interestingly, that's why this gem only comes in green. Today, most of the citrine in the marketplace results from the heat treatment of amethyst. With its ready availability in a broad range of sizes, citrine birthstone is one of the most affordable and desired yellow gemstones.Peridot is a gemstone that varies in color from yellow-green to lime green. Citrine, believed to derive from the French word for “lemon” ( citron), is given for the thirteenth wedding anniversary. It was particularly popular in colorful Scottish jewelry from the Victorian era.

Roman pontiffs wore rings set with massive purple amethysts, and citrine has been reported in Roman jewelry. The ancient Greeks carved rock crystal ornaments that glistened like permafrost. They believed the citrine birthstone could soothe tempers and calm the wearer. As a result, people thought citrine had the same powers as topaz. Citrine has been a popular gemstone since ancient times and has shared a history of mistaken identities with the other November birthstone, topaz. This November birthstone is the transparent yellow to brownish orange variety of quartz, which has been used in jewelry for thousands of years. An alternate explanation, especially popular in Brazil, is that it dates from an 1881 visit by Brazilian Emperor Pedro II to Ouro Preto-the town closest to Brazil’s most productive topaz mines–and the gift of a reddish topaz to him.īlue topaz is the gem of the fourth wedding anniversary , and Imperial topaz is the gem of the 23rd wedding anniversary. It is commonly believed that the name originated with the Russian royal family’s insistence on keeping the finest colors of this gem, which was mined in Russia’s Ural Mountains, exclusively for their use. The distinctly pinkish orange Imperial topaz has aristocratic cachet. For centuries, many people in India have believed that topaz worn above the heart assures long life, beauty and intelligence. From the 1300s to the 1600s, Europeans thought it could thwart magic spells and dispel anger. The ancient Greeks believed that topaz gave them strength. This November birthstone was long thought to have many benefits. Some believe the word “topaz” comes from the Sanskrit word tapas, which means “fire.” Others trace it back to the Greek topazos. The rainbow effect seen in “Mystic Topaz” is created by coating colorless topaz with a thin artificial film. The vast majority of blue topaz seen today is the permanent result of treating colorless topaz with irradiation and heating. The variety of topaz hues includes colorless, light blue, yellow, orange, pink, violet, brown and, very rarely, red. Comprehensive CAD/CAM For Jewelry Certificate
