Palladium – Pearl – Peridot

Peridot is a popular bright green to yellow variety of the magnesium silicate Forsterite. It is also called Chrysolite or Olivine and is often found in basalt. Just like diamond, it is one of the few gemstones that can be found in the earth’s mantle instead of in the crust. Unlike many minerals, Peridot’s colour comes from the chemical composition of the mineral, instead of from inclusions or impurities. This characteristic is called idiochromatism. Another characteristic of the green gemstone is a mild pleochroism, which means that the mineral can take on several different shades based on the angle from which it is observes. Peridot has been found on pallasite meteorites, Mars and even the Moon. The mineral has been used for gemstones for more than 4000 years and is even mentioned in the Bible under the name Chrysolite.