Peridot
Hardness 6.5 specific gravity 3.32-3.37
Refractive index 1.65-1.69 birefringence 0.036
Wear: fragile, not suitable as the ring main stone
Peridot is a kind of transparent gem of olivine. Its composition is (Mg, Fe) 2sio4 (magnesium iron silicate).
Olivine is a rare gem with only one main color. Its color is called olive green. The best olivine has a bright "oil green".
Olivine is the birthstone of August.
The history of human understanding of olivine
The history of human use of olivine can be traced back to ancient Egypt. Ancient Egyptians believed that this kind of gem blocked the light of the sun and called it "the gem of the sun".
Before 1500 A.D., in the era when the Europeans were not exposed to emerald, olivine was the most important green gem in the world. Many ancient tombs in Egypt and Rome were inlaid with olivine.
The production and origin of olivine
Olivine is produced in peridotite, basalt and gabbro. Columnar and well shaped crystals are produced in Pakistan. In other places, they are usually in the form of crystal fragments or pebbles.
The highest quality of olivine is produced in Myanmar Mogok. The color of olivine in Myanmar is more bright green. Pakistan is also an important country. Olivine produced in China tends to have a yellow hue and low value.
The oldest source of olivine is St. John's Island in the Red Sea, but it was no longer produced long ago.
Factors affecting the value of olivine
For olivine, the price of larger particles is higher, the stronger the green is, the higher the price is, and the yellow and brown hues will have a negative impact on the price.
Wearing and preservation
The hardness of olivine is only 6.5, which is a kind of relatively fragile gem. To avoid impact, you should also be careful to be scratched by other gems. Because the hardness of olivine is close to that of many hard objects in daily life, such as metal, ceramics, stone walls, etc., olivine is not suitable for daily wear as the main ring stone.
Olivine should avoid contact with acidic substances, such as perfume, hair gel, cosmetics and other weak acidic substances.
Do not use ultrasonic / steam cleaners. Use warm soapy water.
Crystal and properties of olivine
Olivine belongs to orthorhombic crystal system, which is biaxial crystal. The crystal is usually in the shape of orthorhombic column, with rectangular cross section, often with broken or round surface, dark glass luster or grease luster.
Peridot
