August Birthstone - Peridot
Peridot is August’s birthstone, and the only stone here that comes in one colour. A yellow-green that doesn’t appear anywhere else in the calendar.
It has long been associated with renewal and with growth, and it is one of the few stones that looks as good in gold as it does in silver.
Set in sterling silver, Silvaria or 18K gold bonded over sterling, depending on the piece. Nickel free, and no two stones alike.
FAQs
Peridot. It's also the traditional gift for a sixteenth wedding anniversary.
Because the green isn't an impurity — it's the mineral itself. Most gemstones get their colour from trace elements, so the same stone can occur in several colours. Peridot's colour comes from the iron in its own structure, which means it only ever occurs in green, ranging from yellow-green to deep olive.
It's the main one. Spinel was added to the modern list in 2016, and older traditional lists give sardonyx, but peridot is the August stone almost everyone means.
Yes. Peridot forms deep in the earth's mantle rather than the crust, and it also occurs in pallasite meteorites — which means some of the peridot on earth arrived from space. It's one of only two gemstones known to do that.
Light and warmth. The Egyptians called it the gem of the sun and believed it protected against the terrors of the night, and it's been associated with clarity and good humour ever since.
It needs a little more care than most. Peridot sits at 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale, softer than quartz, and it doesn't like sudden temperature changes or acids. Keep it away from abrasive surfaces and household cleaners and it holds up perfectly well.