The gemstone Peridot is one of the prettiest gemstones around, so its no wonder that Peridot rings are highly sought after by many women and men for that matter. Peridot rings for women are the most popular, but men’s Peridot rings are becoming more and more popular as men have begun wearing more colored gemstone jewelry in recent years. Peridot, or olivine as the mineral is actually called in gemological circles, is the official birthstone for August and so it is used in many birthstone rings for moms and other pieces of birthstone jewelry.
Some Very Good Things to Know about Peridot Rings
- Peridot can sometimes resemble other stones, like green apatite, green tourmaline, and green zircon, so make sure you are actually buying Peridot by asking for a gemological certificate when you buy any expensive Peridot ring.
- Peridot’s lovely green color comes from its chemical composition, not from the impurities in it that normally color gemstones. It is transparent but can have a wide variety of inclusions. Once in a while, Peridot can exhibit a cat’s eye and star effects, but these stones are very rare and therefore very expensive.
- It is an acceptable trade practice for Peridot to be oiled or treated with opticon, a polymer filler that is also commonly used to enhance emerald rings and other emerald jewelry. The oil or opticon fills minute fissures and flaws, so the Peridot appears clearer and is more stable.
- Pale colored Peridot is very common and is priced moderately, while deeply colored Peridot stones are rare and are priced accordingly. Pricing of Peridot is also influenced by the difficulty of finding large “clean” material, i.e., stones that are not completely filled with so many inclusions that they appear milky. Large, relatively flawless deep-green Peridot is very expensive, needless to say.
- Peridot is not exceptionally hard, rating a 6.5 – 7 on the 10 points Mohs scale. Scratches can be a problem, so Peridot jewelry should only be worn occasionally, as everyday wear may cause the stone to become dull and scratched.
- Peridot stones are traditionally faceted as either step cut or mixed cut in order to obtain the very best color after it is cut, and to reduce the incidence of breakage.
- The most important thing to remember about a Peridot ring, whether it be silver Peridot rings or white gold Peridot rings is that the gemstone is very sensitive to heat, and will also be severely disfigured by sulfuric and hydrochloric acid. Therefore, when doing housework, it is best to remove Peridot jewelry, and Peridot stones should never be put into a steam cleaner.
When it comes to beauty and versatility, Peridot rings can’t be beaten! They would look gorgeous with many of the other pieces in your jewelry collection, like Pandora bracelets or even a Tanzanite ring. They look great set in silver, yellow gold and white gold, as well. Whether you head to your local jewelry store or check out the excellent choices available online, whatever you do, make sure you have at least one Peridot ring in your jewelry collection!
Arlene Kostiuk
Can you tell me how does a person purchase one of these rings??? I do not see anything that shows a purchase area.