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peridot - emerald of the crusaders
Once known as the "ugly birthstone for August," peridot has become a top selling gemstone.
Peridot's double refraction quality helps distinguish it from other green stones and bottle glass.
Pakistan's Nanga Parbat region hosts the second highest peak of the Himalayas -- K2 at 28,250 feet -- as well as the seventh highest (the second highest in Pakistan), Nanga Parbat. At 26,660 feet, it's been called "Killer Mountain," claiming more lives than any other mountain in the Himalayas or Karakorams.
From time to time, some Hawaiian beaches on east Oahu turn completely green from fine olivine particles mixed with sand, while some beaches on the Big Island (Hawaii) are almost pure olivine all the time.
 the 'ugly birthstone'? not anymore...
Peridot, a green 'gem' variety of forsterite olivine, comes in a beautiful spectrum of green colors, from light yellow-green to the intense bright green of new grass to olive.

polished peridot

Because of the way peridot splits and bends the rays of light passing through it, it has been described as having a velvety, "sleepy" appearance - a shining rich glow, and a slightly 'greasy' luster.
Arizona currently produces an estimated 80% - 95% of the world's production of peridot -- most of it from the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Gila County where it is hand-hammered out of basalt. Arizona's gem material is of lesser quality overall, but it is far more abundant � making it the more affordable choice.

rugged nanga parbat region
photo: sunu-albany

An exciting new deposit of high quality peridot was discovered in Pakistan, in 1994.
However, the new mine, situated 15,000 feet above sea level in the challenging Nanga Parbat region -- the Pakistani-claimed part of Kashmir in the far west of the Himalayan Mountains -- makes mining difficult, at best. A harsh political climate as well as harsh weather for much of the year hampers consistent mining activity.

symbolic attributes

birthstones
modern August
geographic
state gem Nevada
miscellaneous
anniversary 16th
metaphysical
astrological gem Virgo, Leo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius
energy receptive / yin
planet Venus
element earth