Peridot is a beautiful yellowish green gemstone with the most beautiful gems having an intense green colour. It is a durable gemstone with a hardness of 7 on the MOHS scale. It cannot be found in any other colour apart from green.

Peridot belongs to the forsterite-fayalite mineral series which is part of the olivine group. It is one of the “idiochromatic” gems, meaning its colour comes from the basic chemical composition of the mineral itself, not from minor impurities, and therefore will only be found in shades of green. In fact peridot is one of the few semi precious stones found in only one colour. Historically important sources in Egypt have been superseded by today’s main sources in Arizona and Pakistan. The Pakistani peridot in particular is very fine, and a new find in Pakistan in the mid-1990s has made peridot available to a wider market. The supply of peridot from China is also increasing