Peridot is the birth stone for August, it is known for its vibrant green colour and its distinctive lily pad inclusions.

This stone is surprisingly of great historical relevance. It is amongst the oldest gem materials on the planet with some of the earliest examples dating to over 4.5 billion years old. This ancient peridot is extremely rare and it not likely to be used in jewellery.

Throughout history before gemmological testing was widely practiced, this stone was often confused with emeralds. In the famous tomb of the biblical magi otherwise known as the shrine of the three holy kings in Cologne, Germany, there is a very large 200ct peridot that was originally believed to be an emerald.

During the aesthetic period of the Victorian era peridot grew in popularity as it was the favourite gem stone of king Edward VII.

Diamond and peridot hoop earrings

In our upcoming jewellery sale, we have a wide selection of peridot set jewellery ranging from some modern examples like lot 116, A pair of 18ct gold diamond and peridot hoop earrings and lot 500, An 18ct gold cluster ring, set with diamonds and peridot. We also have some period example such as lot 410, An early 20th century 15ct gold peridot and cultured pearl brooch.

This blog was written by Oliver Horner, Jewellery Assistant from Fellows’ London office.