Peridot is the birthstone for August and the anniversary gemstone for the 3rd year of marriage. The purer green a Peridot is, the higher the value. The green hues of Peridot vary in color from rich grass-like greens reminiscent of emeralds and tsavorite, to yellowish greens that may at times have hints of brown. While the ideal or perhaps most valued color hue is a rich grass-like green, many Peridots with slight yellowish hues exhibit attractive colors that can still command premium prices.
Peridot is found in several places around the world, but interestingly not in nearly as many locales as diamonds or sapphire, technically making it rarer! In 1994, an exciting new deposit of Peridot was discovered in Pakistan, and these stones are among the finest ever seen. The new mine is located 15,000 feet above sea level in the Nanga Parbat region in the far west of the Himalayan Mountains in the Pakistani part of Kashmir. Beautiful large crystals of Peridot have been found, some that cut magnificent large gemstones. One gem was more than 300 carats! Other locations include the U.S. and China.
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