Peridot

Peridot is a gemstone with a distinctive green-gold color. Many of these gems come from the Kashmir region of Pakistan. They are also found in China, Africa, and Australia. In the United States, Peridot is found in primarily in Arizona and New Mexico. It is sometimes called olivine, from the mineral olivine (Mg, Fe)2SiO4 and is sometimes referred to as chrysolite, meaning gold stone in Greek. Chemically, peridot is an iron magnesium silicate. The intensity of the color depends on the amount of iron present in the stone. The gemstone was used in ancient Egyptian jewelry. It ranks between a 6.5 and 7 on the Moh's hardness scale.[1][2][3]

Peridot is the birthstone for August.[2]

## References[edit]

1. ↑ http://minerals.usgs.gov/minerals/pubs/commodity/gemstones/sp14-95/peridot.html
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 http://www.gemstone.org/gem-by-gem/english/peridot.html
3. ↑ http://www.galleries.com/minerals/gemstone/peridot/peridot.htm