Collection: August - Peridot, Spinel & Sardonyx

-Peridot-

Peridot has always been associated with light. In fact, the Egyptians called it the “gem of the sun”. Some believed that it protected its owner from “terrors of the night”, especially when it was set in gold. 

Most peridot formed deep inside the earth and was delivered to the surface by volcanoes. Some also came to earth in meteorites, but this extraterrestrial peridot is extremely rare, today this gem is still prized for its restful yellowish lime green hues and long history. 

-Spinel-

Spinel is a good candidate for the title of “History’s Most Under-appreciated Gem”. Some ancient mines that supplied gems for royal courts from Rome to China produced spinel, but it was usually confused with better-known stones like ruby and sapphire by emperors and monarchs. Many of the famous “rubies” of history were actually spinels. 

-Sardonyx-

Sardonyx can be traced back four thousand years to Ancient Egypt. For most of its history, this stone has been used to create cameos and intaglios. Sardonyx is an agate whose banding is straight and parallel. 

Although the details of the process remain a commercial secret, it is known that iron oxide is a pigment used to create the rich combination of deep orange-reds in red and white bullseye sardonyx and in the red and white-banded variety.