Peridot
Birthstone for August
Peridot is one of the few gemstones that occurs in only one color — a distinctive olive to lime green caused by iron in its crystal structure. It forms deep in the Earth's mantle, like diamonds, and reaches the surface through volcanic activity. Some peridot has been found in meteorites, making it one of the few gems with an extraterrestrial origin. The ancient Egyptians called it the 'gem of the sun' and mined it on a volcanic island in the Red Sea for over three thousand years. Peridot's cheerful green has never gone out of fashion, and large, clean stones with a rich green color are genuinely rare.
Why Peridot for August?
Peridot became August's birthstone because the ancient Egyptians called it the 'gem of the sun' and believed it was most powerful when the sun was at its strongest. August falls near the peak of summer in the Northern Hemisphere, and peridot's green was seen as the color of life thriving under the sun's full force.