If you have your birthday in August, then consider yourself one of the lucky ones! Why? Well, as an August-born, you can choose between 2 beautiful gemstones as your birthstone – the lush green Peridot, and the pretty Spinel. These befitting gemstones are the perfect presents for August babies. Read the brief information about these 2 popular August birthstones.
Peridot, the olive-green gemstone comes from a magnesium-rich variety of olivine. Peridots are formed in silica-deficient rocks such as volcanic basalt and pallasitic meteorites (Source: Wikipedia). Peridot is a gemstone that comes in only one color tone which is the olive-green hue.
Spinel is its own mineral and comes in a variety of colors. The red spinel is sometimes mistaken for a ruby, for example, The Black Prince Ruby. Spinel received its name from the Spanish word, Spinella which means spine, in reference to its pointed crystals.
Let’s learn more about these August birthstones in detail.
Peridot
One of the rarest gemstones in the world is the peridot. It is a semi-precious gemstone and comes from the mineral olivine. Peridot is known for its rich, vibrant color and excellent value. This gemstone is a variety of the mineral olivine and derives its vibrant green color from the presence of the trace element iron.
Peridot seems to have a rich and extensive cultural significance. Peridot is one of the oldest gemstones believed to have been mined in 1500 BC on St. John’s Island in the red sea. Ancient Egyptians called this gemstone the “Gem of the sun” while the medieval Christians used peridots on their religious relics.
Peridot can be mined in several locations around the world. Australia, Brazil, Pakistan, Burma, Egypt, Kenya, and Mexico are some of the countries where peridot is mined. Peridot ranks 7 out of 10 on the Mohs scale of hardness, making it a durable gemstone that can be used in everyday jewelry. GemsNY’s Peridot rings collection is definitely worth a try.
Read more about Peridot here.
Some Facts about Peridots
- Peridot is derived from the mineral olivine. In the past, the gemstone was referred to as Olivine. Another name for Peridot is Chrysolite.
- Since 1912, Peridot has been used as the official birthstone for the 8th month of the year – August, along with Sardonyx.
- Miners have to dig really deep to find Peridot. It is usually buried deep under igneous rocks, especially in areas where there have been volcanic eruptions.
- Peridots are believed to ward off evil spirits.
Celebrities & Peridots
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge
The royals definitely know how to style. The Duchess of Cambridge wore a pair of earrings featuring double oval peridot, blue topaz, and diamond stud earrings set in 18-karat yellow gold to attend the UK premiere of African Cats in 2012.
Benedict Cumberbatch
“Lo and behold, Doctor Strange is guarding a Time Stone”. This was the reaction of fans when at the Met Gala 2019, Benedict Cumberbatch wore an 18-karat yellow gold, peridot, diamond and platinum nosegay brooch from Verdura circa 1965. What do you think? Is it a jewel that came to life from the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Anna Wintour
In the 2022 Met Gala, Vogue’s global editorial director appeared wearing a tiara made of diamonds and peridots, an unusual but striking choice, don’t you think? The tiara in floral and ribbon motifs is said to be Wintour’s family heirloom which was made in 1910.
Spinel
One of the recent gemstones that have been added to the list of birthstones for August is Spinel. It is a variety of the mineral group spinel with which it shares its name. Much like sapphires, spinel can be found in an array of different colors and hues.
The most popular color, however, is red, though it can be found in a wide array of vibrant colors such as pink, green, yellow, blue Spinel, etc. As said, red spinel is the most popular variety of spinel but as a gemstone spinel is often looked over. This may be due to the fact that in ancient times, people used to confuse spinels with rubies.
Spinel is ranked 8/10 on the Mohs scale of hardness making it a durable and versatile gemstone to be used in jewelry worn on a day-to-day basis. GemsNY has the finest quality spinel jewelry that you can get for yourself. Click here to make your own piece.
The color of a gemstone is one of the most important elements that decide the primary value of the gem. When the color saturation of the gemstone increases, its value increases. However, as the color in a spinel becomes oversaturated and eventually opaque, the price drops substantially.
To learn more about the second August birthstone click here!
Some Facts about Spinel
- A synthetic variety is produced for both military and commercial use because it looks like glass, but is considerably stronger and more resistant to pressure.
- The famous 170 carat Black Prince’s Ruby is not only the centerpiece of the Imperial Crown of England, but it is also a red spinel!
- It is mostly mined in Sri Lanka and Burma., It can also be found close to corundum deposits containing rubies and sapphires.
GemsNY has a huge collection of different types of accessories like earrings, rings, pendants, etc with a collection of more than 50,000 natural gemstones that will woo you. To get your hands on these beautiful August birthstones explore GemsNY.com now.
