Peridot is a gem-quality forsteritic olivine which appears in various shades of green. Peridot has a Mohs scale hardness of 6.5-7 and it is one of the most popular gems in the jewelry industry.
The name “peridot” is believed to be derived from the Arabic word “faridat,” which means “gem.”
Peridot mining can be traced back some 4,000 years and archeological findings suggest it was used in jewelry in ancient Egyptian times.
Until the early 1900s, peridots could be found mainly on the shores of the Red Sea, off the coast of Egypt, but deposits have since been located in the Far East, Russia, the United States, South America and South Africa.
Nowadays, peridot deposits can also be found in Kenya, China, Sri Lanka, Australia, Norway, Brazil and Hawaii.
The largest peridot ever mined weighs 310 carats. It is on display at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History.
