Peridot

Peridot is a well-known and ancient gemstone, with jewelry pieces dating all the way back to the Pharaohs in Egypt. The gem variety of the mineral Olivine, it makes a lovely light green to olive-green gemstone. The intensity of color depends on the amount of iron present in a Peridot"s chemical structure; the more iron it contains the deeper green it will be. The most desirable color of Peridot is deep olive-green with a slight yellowish tint. Deeper olive-green tones tend to be more valuable than lighter colored greens and yellowish-greens.

Chemical Formula	(Mg,Fe)2SiO4
Color	Green, Yellow
Hardness	6.5Â -Â 7
Crystal System	Orthorhombic
Refractive Index	2.63Â -Â 2.65
SG	1.54Â -Â 1.55
Transparency	Transparent
Double Refraction	.009
Luster	Vitreous
Cleavage	2,1 ; 3,1
Mineral Class	Olivine