peridot

Peridot, a yellowish-green variety of olivine, has a long tradition as an important decorative gem. Although it was often confused with topaz throughout history. A famous example is the island of Topazios in the Red Sea, from which it was assumed the name and the mineral topaz came, only to later discover that it was actually peridot.

This gem was used in many pharaonic and priestly jewels. Over time it was also known and admired throughout Europe. In medieval times it was considered a cure against evil spirits, in favor of developing wisdom and promoting friendship.

Peridot is the result of a crystalline mixture of forsterite and fayalite, it is part of the orthorhombic system and has a hardness of 6.5-7 on the Mohs scale. The crystals generally appear as squat and short prisms, striated vertically. Once cut, peridot shines through its vitreous and oily luster and gives us emotion