Peridot
Peridot is a very old gemstone, mined by the Egyptians as early as 1500 BC on an island called Zeberget in the Mediterranean Sea. In fact it is now believed that many of Cleopatra's “emeralds” were actually fine peridots. Peridot was later used to decorate medieval churches, probably carried back to Europe by the Crusaders. It is also found in Myanmar, China, Norway, USA, Sri Lanka, Africa and Australia but some now come from a recent discovery on the border area between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Peridot is the gem variety of olivine and ranges between 6.5 and 7 on the Mohs scale of hardness, so it is easy to care for and is fairly durable. Peridot is the official birthstone for the month of August.
