Tag Archives: peridot

What’s My Name?

Way back in the day, before people knew anything about chemical composition, chromophores, and spectroscopy, gemstones got their names by fairly straightforward descriptions. A green gem was a green gem back then; the Greek word smaragdos, from which the English word “emerald” is derived, literally translates as “green gemstone.” One of the best examples of…

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August’s birthstone is the beautiful peridot

One of the most often neglected birth stones is peridot.  This is a pity since I think the gem is absolutely beautiful.  When clients say they don’t like their birthstone, they have only seen the more commercial material, more drab and olivey green.  When I pull out one of the Pakistani peridots, in a fiery…

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Marc Aronstam on gem stone color

Color is by far the most highly touted virtue of gem stones. When you see a beautiful cornflower blue sapphire, or a gorgeous Granny Smith apple green peridot, what attracts you most are the deep colors of the stones. When jewelers determine the quality of a gem stone based on its color, they talk about…

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