Peridot Rings

Peridot, a French word pronounced as pear-uh-doe is derived from Arabic word 'Faridat' that refers to gem. It is also called as Olivine and Chrysolite. It was found thousands of years ago on the island of Egypt in the Red Sea.

It has traditional, religious and spiritual significance. It is assigned as August birthstone and 16th anniversary gemstone. According to astrologers, it emits friendly and positive energy. Peridot wearer experiences feeling of joy, happiness, emotional security and clear heart ( free from ego and jealousy). Most important, it is considered to give marital bliss to it's owner. Thus, it became symbol of purity, dignity and prevention.

Russians, Egyptians and Romans had strong beliefs related to this gemstone. It was believed that peridot when worn on the body in any form heals physical and mental problems. It helps an individual in gaining the positive characteristics and wave off the negatives such as anger, irritation, jealousy and so on. It cures diseases like asthma, lungs & heart problems etc. Considered so good and powerful, peridot became very popular in all the jewelry items viz. rings, earrings, bracelets, bengals and necklaces. However, rings consisting peridot gemstone were most in demand.

It is created under high temperatures & pressures deep inside the earth during volcanic action. Peridot crystals are found in the rocks formed due volcano burst. It is composed of magnesium iron siliciate that is responsible for the light yellowish green colour. The prime source of peridot are Myanmar and USA. It is procured in relatively less quantity from Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt and Norway. Recently, new deposits are identified in Himalayan Mountains located in Pakistan captured Kashmir area. With this new finding, peridot gem is now available easily in the market. Therefore, peridot rings are quite popular these days.

Rings holding peridot gems are very beautiful and gives a sober look to the wearer due to its unique colour. Jewelry shops offer many varieties and designs. While choosing the ring among the available options, focus most on the stone. It is yellowish green in colour. The colour would always be light green like that of the colour of new grass with the tint of yellow. Basically, the colour is a mix of yellow and light green. It will never be dark in shade.

In order to check for the original peridot stone, see the ring in dim light. The colour of the stone should be same light yellowish green from front and back of the ring. This gemstone has property to maintain the light colour in weak light as well. Also it would emit rich shinny glow once the ray of light passes through it.

Peridot gemstone consists of few inclusions within the structure. Rest the stone is transparent and clear. It is easily cut into different shapes and styles. Any cut can be selected based on the design of the ring. The most common cuts are square, round, pear, oval and marquise. Designers also give innovative shapes like emerald, heart and trillion cuts.

Weight of single peridot gemstone used for rings starts from one carat to three carats. Price of the ring increases with the increase in carat weight of the gem. Sometimes 2-3 single stones can be mounted together in one ring and the weight can stretch upto 4-6 carats. Many rings comprises of peridot paired with other stones such as diamonds, jade and others. More common pairing is with diamonds. In pairing diamonds used are very small making the total weight less than one carat while peridot shall be large and more than one carat. The setting used is prong. Always make sure setting holds all the stone tightly and there are no chances of stones getting lost.

Rings are made up of sterling silver, white gold and yellow gold. Gold used for making rings is 14K or 18K. If peridot is mounted in yellow gold then the look is augmented. Moreover, if the wearer plans to wear this gemstone with the purpose of healing or protection then it is always recommended to set the ring in yellow gold. The effect of the stone doubles when it is a single stone mounted in yellow gold.

Peridot can be used in place of emeralds when creating navaratna ring. It is considered to possess same properties and produce similar results as emeralds. The reason being, both stones are associated with planet mercury. This would reduce the price of navaratna ring as peridot costs less than emerald.

The price of the rings depends on the carat weight of the stone. Stone upto 1.5 carat in weight is priced moderately due to the large availability. Carats weight between 1.5-3 are priced more and can be little high on budget. More than 5 carats weight is very rare and is priced very high. In case it is flawless then the price increases. Gems from Myanmar, Pakistan and Egypt are of superior quality hence are more expensive.

Peridot rings are affordable and durable. However, if maintained with little care can be retained forever. The hardness of gemstone is 6.5 to 7 Mohs that means protect it from large temperature changes, scratches and sharp blows. Avoid direct influence of rings with cosmetics, hairsprays and household cleaning chemicals etc. Do not clean peridot ring in a home ultrasonic cleaner rather clean with luke warm water, mild soap solution and soft brush. When not in use, keep it the jewelry box lined with soft cloth or cotton. This is a unique gemstone treasured by women of every era and generation.

The queen of beauty and charm - Cleopatra used to wear peridot gems instead of emeralds in many of her rings and other jewelry items. This yellowish green coloured semi precious stone was one of her favorite. Her peridot rings were fascinating and attractive like her. Buy Cleopatra's special stone and look beautiful like her .

Peridot Rings

by Shweta Dhanuka