Peridot Gemstones

Description

Peridot , sometimes called chrysolite, is a yellowish-green transparent variety of olivine. Peridot is one of the few gemstones that occur in only one color.Peridot can be found in mafic and ultramafic rocks occurring in lava and peridotite xenoliths of the mantle. The gem occurs in silica-deficient rocks such as volcanic basalt and pallasitic meteorites.  Peridot is one of only two gems observed to be formed not in earth’s crust, but in the molten rock of the upper mantle. Gem-quality peridot is rare on Earth’s surface due to its susceptibility to weathering during its movement from deep within the mantle to the surface.  Peridot has a chemical formula of (Mg, Fe)₂SiO₄. Peridot is one of the birthstones for the month of August.