If yours is the August birthstone, you have a stone for prosperity, a gem treasured by Sultans, and jewelry even a pirate could love. Read on to find out more about these August birthstones and their myths and legends.
Peridot:: Properties of Light
August birthstones, peridot, are made from magnesium silicate and are a type of fosterite, one of the olivine minerals. Pure fosterite is colorless but iron makes it green by replacing 10% of the magnesium with iron. This August gemstone is found in volcanic basalts. They are soft and therefore can be scratched pretty easily.
Peridot has an oily appearance and a high birefringence. This is the name given to a particular property of light. When traveling through a crystal in a certain way, the light can split into two paths producing two images. In the case of peridot, light causes the edge of the back facets to appear doubled when viewed through the thickness of the stone.
Topazios :: The origin of the August birth stone
Peridot is a French word meaning unclean. This is probably due to inclusions in large peridot crystals which makes the stone appear cloudy.
Like many other birthstones, the August peridot is listed in the Bible as one of the gemstones on Aaron’s breast plate. Biblically, peridots were called pitdah.
There is an island in the Red Sea, fifty miles north of Egypt. It was originally called Topazios. This is where Egyptians first mined these birthstones and fashioned them into beads for jewelry. Now the island is called Zabargad.
The peridot gems themselves were called “topaz.” Gemstone lore indicates that the French changed the name of this stone to “peridot,” thought the reason why is unclear. Topaz now refers to an entirely different gemstone.
During the Crusades, the August birth stone was made into religious relics to bring back home.
Even the Sultans of the Ottoman Empire treasured these gems.
Europeans were a little bit behind in the fashion world regarding these birthstones. The stone didn’t become popular to wear until the ninetieth century.
The largest peridot ever found, is a 311.8 carat gem found on Zabargad.
August Birthstones :: Gem of the Sun
Many myths surround these birthstones for August.
Ancient Egyptians called peridot a gem of the sun. It was considered too bright to be looked upon in the Egyptian desert.
Miners were said to work in the moonlight as it made these August birthstones easier to see while working.
A similar legend has these birthstones glowing at night. Because of this peridot were used as a talisman against night terrors.
King Solomon traded cedar trees from Lebanon for 12 soma drinking cups made of peridot and 14 liters of soma. He is said to have become enlightened by drinking soma from these cups.
Egyptians traded peridot for ramp logs so they could make the Gisa pyramids.
Peridots are the stone associated with the Apostle Simeon.
One account of peridot lore says that pirates believed these gems would keep them safe from evil. (I must confess it made me wonder, did pirates think of themselves as the “good” guys?)
Peridot Healing Stones
When it comes to taking your medicine, drinking it from a peridot goblet was said to increase the potency of medication.
Because the August birthstone comes in different shades, there are different properties for each color: The green-blue variety is said to help mental, emotional and spiritual levels, while the yellowish color is more in tune with the physical.
Here are some of the healing qualities these birthstones are used for:
* Nervous butterflies
* Liver and endocrine system
* Strengthening the breath of life
* Lung ailments
* Lymph nodes
* Alleviating depression, anger, fear, jealousy,
* Clearing up mental fatigue
* Whole body tonic
On many healing stone lists, peridot is listed as corresponding to the 4th Chakra (or Heart Chakra.) My experience is that it’s a more physical stone than a heart stone. (This may be because all of the peridot I’ve ever worked with is of yellow to lime green coloring.) It may act as a bridge from the lower more physical chakra energies to the heart.
Peridot is also said to strengthen the physical and emotional heart and to help with:
* Fear
* Emotional trauma
* Bruised egos
* Cure asthma
* Lungs, sinuses, wrists
* Relieving negative emotions.
Egyptians believed it would purify and cure the heart.
To dissolve the power of enchantment, it needed to be set in gold. To protect from evil spirits, these birth stones were pierced, strong on donkey hair and worn on the left arm.
Peridot was also used to channel spirits.
The Prosperity of Peridot
Peridots, symbolize prosperity and growth. They are used to denote fame, dignity, and protection.
In addition to being the birthstones for August, peridots are also the traditional gifts for the sixteenth wedding.
August Birthstones in conclusion…
If you have an August birthstone, you enjoy one most unique gems in the world. From being mined by moonlight to being a symbol of fame and dignity, these gems have a long and colorful history. Kings and pharaohs as well as sultans prized these birthstones. Wear peridot jewelry for it’s brilliant light, for prosperity or healing, and enjoy your connection to this gem of the sun.