By Sam Serio
If you're still young enough to remember your birthday, you probably also remember the special birthstone assigned to it. But at your age, we bet you don't really know the SIGNIFICANCE of your birthstone and what power the ancients felt would be bestowed about you by wearing it.
August Birthstone: Peridot
Birthstone Properties: Illumination
Alternative Birthstone: Sardonyx
Peridot is the birthstone for August and 16th anniversary gemstone. Its name comes from the Arabic word "faridat," meaning gem. Peridot is sometimes referred to as an “Evening Emerald” because under artificial light it glows as a brilliant green.
Peridot is transparent with subtle color in a variety of greens, ranging from light yellowish green to a dark olive. The purer green a peridot is, the higher the value. Any tinge of brown greatly diminishes the value of a peridot, as well as visible flaws.
Ancient History
Found in both early Greek and early Roman jewelry, peridot has been popular since 1500 BC when the Egyptians started mining it. The Egyptians called the lustrous stone the "gem of the sun" and believed it had the power to ward off anxiety, enhance speech, and foster success in relationships and marriage.
Peridot crystals are sometimes combed from the black sands of Hawaii where the gemstone is abundant and available in larger sizes. Hawaiians believe that peridot is the tears shed by Pele, the volcano goddess. Pele must have traveled extensively, however, because peridot is also mined in Burma, Norway, Brazil, Australia, Hawaii, the Congo, and in Arizona.
Peridot is found in Europe in many medieval churches decorating several treasures, including the Cologne Cathedral. Peridot use peaked during the Baroque era, but the gemstone fell out of favor over time until the 1990's when a new source in Pakistan re-ignited interest in the forgotten stone.
Take Two and Call Me in the Morning
Legend has it that drinking from a peridot goblet can increase the potency of medicines. Egyptian priests drank from cups made of peridot, believing it would draw them closer to Isis, their goddess of nature. Peridot was said to be useful for calming raging angers, curing nervous afflictions and promoting tranquility in high-strung individuals.
Many legends state that peridot was considered a powerful amulet against all evil, as well as a remedy for sinus problems. Powdered peridot has been used to cure asthma, while a peridot stone placed under the tongue of someone with fever is believed to lessen his/her thirst.
Making Dreams Come True
Peridot was thought to help dreams become a reality, and was often given as a symbol of fame, strength and vitality…as well as promise of new growth in the years ahead. It also symbolizes eloquence and persuasiveness.
Peridots were especially favored by pirates. The terrors of the sea considered peridot powerful amulets against all evil, and when set in gold, were said to protect the wearer from the terrors of the night…including nightmares.
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