By Alyssa Arroyo
August is here and in anticipation of this month, here are the August birthstones!
Peridot, The Gem of the Sun
Peridot is a warm green gem that is best suited for earrings, pins, pendants, and rings with a bezel setting. If you are hard on hands you’ll want to be sure cautious of hitting hard surfaces. Peridot is a 6.5-7 on Moh’s hardness scale making it a medium-hard stone. This joyful green color is dependent on the level of iron contained within the Peridot, giving it that friendly yellow-green hue.
Peridot is special for a couple of reasons; The green hue is consistent which is rare in gems. It is also 1 of only 2 gems that are formed in the molten rocks of the upper mantle rather than in the earth’s crust, where most gems are found. Peridot can be found in lava, meteorites, and deep in Earth’s mantle.
Peridot is seen as a stone associated with light, perfect for August and the summer sun. Ancient Egyptians mined Peridot on the Islands of Zabargad in the Red Sea. They referred to Peridot as the “gem of the sun”. Europeans also adorned cathedrals with Peridot in the middle ages and in Hawaii, Peridot can be found amongst the tiny grains of sand lining the beaches, Hawaiians believe they symbolize the tears of Pele, the goddess of fire.
The largest sources of Peridot are the United States, Myanmar, Pakistan, and the Himalayas. Here, at Eve J. Alfille Gallery and Studio, you can take a look at a variety of Peridot jewelry as well as select Peridot gems for any customizations you might want to make on your own jewelry or for new pieces you want to create.
Sardonyx, Hidden Between Layers
Sardonyx combines alternating layers of Sard and Onyx, having 2 types of the mineral chalcedony. The colors range from yellowish-red to reddish-brown to brownish-black. The color is dependent on the iron oxide within the stone. These lines of Sard and white chalcedony were once more precious than gold, silver, and sapphire.
Sardonyx is widely available and affordable when created as beads, gems, and jewelry. They are mostly found in India, Brazil, Germany, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Madagascar, Uruguay, and United States.
Roman Soldiers wore or carried Sardonyx talismans that were engraved with heroes and gods because they believed they would embody the same characteristics as the figure they wore around themselves. It is thought that orange Sardonyx stimulates, black Sardonyx absorbs, and green Sardonyx purifies.
Sardonyx is a 6.5 on Moh’s hardness scale. The gallery has plenty of Sardonyx for you to browse, in order to form any jewelry that you’d love to wear whether that be a pin, pendant, or pair of earrings.
Spinel, The Latest Addition
Spinel is the most recently added gem to the August birthstones and it’s known for its deep red color that is similar to rubies. Pure Spinel is colorless, different impurities change the color to reds, yellows, blues, violets, and many more. Spinel is an 8 on the Moh’s hardness scale, making it good for all kinds of jewelry.
Spinel was confused for many different gems. For example, Until the late 19th century rubies and Spinels were indistinguishable. The enormous “ruby” that is placed in the centerpiece of the royal crown of England, also known as the “black prince”, was in fact a Spinel. One way of distinguishing Spinels is through UV light because they are fluorescent.
South East Asia’s mines yielded enormous Spinel crystals in ancient times. These Spinels became the treasured property of kings and emperors, passing through many hands as spoils of war.
Good quality Spinel in size and color is mostly found in Burma, but they are also found in Sri Lanka, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Tanzania, and Madagascar. We have a wide range of Spinels in our gallery space, from small drops to rings. They can be used in jewelry in many ways due to their varying size and color.
The August Birthstones consist of Peridot, Sardonyx, and Spinel. These 3 very different stones can all be found here at Eve J. Alfille Gallery and Studio. For those of us born in August, this is our month and these are our stones, happy summer!
