August
Newsletter
August 2,
2006
Peridot’s history begins on a small triangular island 50 miles or so off the coast of Egypt in the Red Sea. The name of the island has changed many times over recorded history. Its most recent label is Zabargad, the Arabic word for peridot. Its immediate past name was St. John’s Island. Large amounts of peridot were mined on Zabargad beginning in 1500BC and production continued until WWII. Today this small mountain island is littered with mine dumps and deserted. However, it is surrounded by coral reefs that attract the occasional scuba diver and is on birders’ lists because a significant proportion of the world population of Sooty Falcons can be found breeding there.
Over the centuries, peridot has been called many different names, including topaz and “evening emerald”. In the 18th century the French were the first to call this yellowish-green stone “PEAR-a-doe”(the more common pronunciation); although, today in the American Southwest you frequently hear people refer to it as “PEAR-a-dot”.
BLACK MOTHER OF PEARL & PERIDOT RING 18KT yellow gold domed band set with black mother of pearl and peridot. Size 5 1/2. Signed Mauboussin Paris.
$1,900
Burma has recently been mining peridot, especially around the famous ruby-producing city of Mogok. In 1994 a new deposit of peridot was discovered in Pakistan that is producing fine quality stones. There is an abundance of peridot mined in Arizona but these are not normally the finest quality available.
Peridot is mentioned in the Bible under the Hebrew name of pitdah. It easily found its way to Europe with the Crusaders and was immensely popular during certain times - like the entire Victorian period. But even with this rich history, the peridot was seldom used in American jewelry until recently.
Odd that when American women frantically paired peridot-like “avocado green” Formica countertops with harvest gold refrigerators, the stone still remained out of favor. But everything old is new again, and in recent years we have seen a growing use of chartreuse by some of the world’s leading fashion designers. “Avocado green” has made a comeback, and this time peridot has taken its place among all things chartreuse.
Peridot is the official birthstone of those born in August. It is also the gem designated for the 16th wedding anniversary. Those with August birthdays share their birth month with the likes of Annie Oakley, Davey Crockett and both Lewis and Clark, who were born in August four years apart. If you need a present for a Leo ( -/Aug 23) or a Virgo (Aug 24/+ ), maybe this Mauboussin peridot ring is the perfect item. Or take a look at www.meriwether.net for other ideas.
Hope your summer is a great one!!
