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peridot - emerald of the crusaders
Zagbargad is the Egyptian word for "peridot." With little to recommend it today, it is described as "a barren, waterless island of volcanic origin, rising to a height of 770 feet."
The Serpent Isle, Jazirat Zabarjad (St. John's Island, the Crusaders), Topazios (Greeks and Romans) and Zebirget are among the names Zagbargad Island has had in its long history.
The world's largest cut peridot, 319 carats, was found on Zagbargad Island. It now resides in the Smithsonian, Washington, D.C.
After a 600 year hiatus, Zagbargad Island was "rediscovered" around 1900. It continued to be mined until 1958 -- giving it a 5,000 year run, unequaled by any quarries except for the 6,000 year-old lapis mines in Afghanistan.
According to legend, Zagbargad was mined at night when the stone�s natural glow was easier to see, as the ancient Egyptians believed peridot -- "jewel of the sun" -- became invisible under the sun�s rays.
 the 'isle of serpents'
With as romantic a history as any gemstone known, peridot (pronounced "pair-a-doe") also has a long history.
Peridot has been mined as a gemstone for an estimated 5,000 years, in particular, on the island of Zagbargad -- now known as Zebirget (Sebirget) -- located about fifty miles off the Egyptian Red Sea coast, 188 miles east of Aswan.

zagbargad island; peridot mining
photo: pia's page

Pliny the Elder (23-79 AD), Roman historian, naturalist and author of the world's first encyclopedia, wrote about peridot mining on Zagbargad where mines had already been producing for thousands of years.
Fascinating stories about Zagbargad abound. Supposedly, the island was once so infested with pit vipers and mining so potentially deadly that soldiers were given the not so envious job of eliminating the viper population.
Another story says that so precious was peridot to ancient Egyptians that they enslaved the residents of the island, forcing them to mine the richly coveted "oily" green stone so prized by the pharaohs.
Yet another story is that the reason the valuable island was protected from potential poachers for thousands of years was that it was often enveloped in a thick fog. Therefore, if unsuspecting sailors approached, their ship would either be wrecked on a reef or captured and -- either way -- the crew enslaved to work in the mines so no one could go back and tell others.
Egyptian pharaohs were known to prize peridot for their personal adornment. But, history records that gifts of peridot may have also constituted one of the first insurance policies. Dorothee L. Mella, author of Stone Power, says that pharaohs were known to give peridot to their counsel priests so that they might "keep their minds free from envious thoughts and jealousies" concerning the pharaoh's powers and wealth."
Legend has it that peridot was Cleopatra's favorite gemstone. She also reportedly had a fine collection of �emeralds" -- which most historians now believe were peridots from Zagbargad.
The Greeks and Romans referred to the stone mined on Zagbardad (Topazios) as �topazion� and �topazius." Later, to avoid confusion, the name "topazius" was given to the typically golden-colored gem topaz .
Since peridot's green color doesn't darken at night and is still visible by lamplight, the Romans -- who wore it for protection against enchantments, melancholy and illusion -- called it "the evening emerald."
Rabbi Samuel believes pitdah " could be beryl (aquamarine or emerald), citrine quartz, green jasper or even mother-of-pearl."
does 'pitdah' = 'peridot'?
The Biblical stone with the Hebrew name of pitdah -- listed as a chrysolite in most translations of the Old Testament, including the King James version -- is one of the stones in the breastplate of the High Priest: "�in the fourth row, a chrysolite, an onyx, and a jasper�" Chrysolite is also one of the stones of the New Jerusalem.

artist's rendering of high priest's breastplate

Although chrysolite is Latin for "golden stone," the translation adds to the confusion of identifying ancient stones. Many chroniclers, including Pliny, describe chrysolite as more of a golden-green or olive-green -- the "color of olive oil" � and most green stones from antiquity were called chrysolite.
Even Biblical scholars disagree among themselves on the definition of most of the stones noted in the Bible since description and identification was so haphazard until recent times. Rabbi Dr. Michael Samuel, in his "Breastplate stones and tribal affiliation," says:

"Pitdah � is...rendered by the LXX topadzion, and Vulgate, topazius, with which agrees Josephus. The topaz is a precious stone, of a pale, dead green, with a mixture of yellow, sometimes of a fine yellow; and hence called chrysolyte by the moderns, from its gold color...

"According to [a number of sources] this stone is most likely the emerald. According to the Septuagint, pitdah is identified with the sardian -- a deep orange-red chalcedony considered by some to be a variety of carnelian..."

Crusader Island was not built by the Crusaders but by Saladin (1137-1193) in his defense against them.
As with so many other gems during the Middle Ages, peridot was used as a cure for a number of illnesses. Powdered peridot was used to alleviate the symptoms of asthma. Peridot was also placed under the tongue of someone in the grip of a fever, because it was thought to lessen their thirst.
Drinking from a peridot goblet was thought to increase the potency of medicines administered to the ill.
A reliquary is any box, casket or shrine designed for the reception of relics.
The Reliquary of the Magi also houses the remains of Gregory of Spoleto, St. Nabor and St. Felix.
Some believe the magi were Persian priest-astrologers who could interpret the stars, particularly the significance of the star that proclaimed the birth of the Christ-child.
Today, the Reliquary of the Magi is behind glass and visitors cannot get near it. The best way to see the detail is to buy a book through the Cathedral.
Pirates in the Middle Ages believed peridot could drive away evil spirits and 'night terrors', especially if set in gold. But, in order to protect one from evil spirits, peridot "had to be pierced, strung on donkey hair and worn on the left arm."
Peridot jewelry became popular in Europe during the Baroque period. It was also a popular choice for Victorian jewelry during the mid-to-late 1800's and for Art Nouveau jewelry ca. 1890 � 1910.
Native Hawaiians at one time believed peridot (found on Oahu) to be the tears of Pele, the Polynesian goddess of fire.
In Islam, the color green is associated with paradise as well as wealth. By tradition, it is said to have been the favorite color of the Prophet Mohammed.
 the crusader stone
It was the returning Crusaders who brought peridot, known as the "emerald of the Crusaders," back to Western Europe at the end of the Crusades.

crusader island near taba, sinai
photo: tour egypt

With the capture of Acre in 1291, the Mameluks -- originally a class of Turkish slave soldiers -- defeated the Crusaders one last time, effectively bringing an end to two centuries of European occupation in the Middle East.
At some point during the Crusader occupation, they gained control of Zagbargad Island, renaming it "St. John's Island." Although it's not known how long the they remained in control there, the possibility exists that they continued mining operations, stockpiling peridot -- and that this is what they brought back to Europe with them.
reliquary of the magi
Richly decorated reliquaries, often used to enhance medieval churches (as well as the reputation of their rich patrons), were frequently bejeweled with a staggering array of gems. One of the most famous is the Reliquary of the Magi, created in Cologne, Germany, around 1181.

shrine of the magi, front view
photo: van dyke

Archbishop Reinald von Dassel brought the relics of the three Magi (the "wise men") -- Gasper, Melchior and Balthazar -- from Milan to Cologne in 1163, and in response, the church fathers authorized the construction of a grand cathedral -- the K�lner Dom (Cologne Cathedral) -- to house these important relics.

Acknowledged to be the largest and most valuable piece of medieval goldsmithing in existence, the Reliquary was designed by Nicholas of Verdun (active ca. 1150 - 1210), reputed to be the greatest goldsmith of his day.

An impressive piece of work by any standard, the Reliquary is six feet long, four and one-half feet high, and three and one-half feet wide. Containing more than one thousand precious stones and an uncounted number of pearls, among the gems are three large peridots, each more than 200 carats in size.

Two centuries after the Crusaders introduced peridot, the Spaniards began bringing back high-quality South American emeralds from the Columbian mines it was exploiting and interest in peridot greatly diminished. A saying of the time in Europe went: "Whoever has two [peridot] has one too many."
However, that was not necessarily true in Muslim countries. Green has been called the "color of Islam" and it was certainly a most auspicious color to the Ottomans sultans who gathered the largest collection of peridot known during their six-hundred year reign (1300-1918). Assembling an impressive array of loose gemstones, they also favored peridot earrings, rings, turban jewels, aigrettes and other decorative items.
(After the Spanish introduction of New World emeralds in the sixteenth century, the sultans went on to gather an equally impressive collection of beautiful -- and huge -- emeralds which can be seen today at the Topkapi Palace in Istanbul.)