August birthstones:
August is one of three birth months represented by three different gemstones. In 2016, August joined June and December as one of the three birth months represented by three different gemstones.
The original birthstone for August was sardonyx, and then peridot was added and became August's primary gemstone. The addition of spinel, which comes in a variety of colors, gives August babies a plethora of options! Learn more about August's different birthstones by exploring below.
Peridot:
Basic facts:
Month stone: August
Origin: Burma, Kenya, China, Pakistan, USA & Vietnam
Colors: Green to green/yellow
Family: Olivine: (Mg2Fe2)SiO4
Hardness: 6.5 – 7
Refractive Index: 1.65 – 1.70
Specific Gravity: 3.28 – 3.48
Treatment: Not treated
Peridot was called the "gem of the sun" by the ancient Egyptians and the "emerald of the evening" by the Romans. Peridot was a favorite gemstone of Cleopatra and was historically often mistaken for emerald.
The origin of Peridot's name is uncertain, but several theories exist. Some sources speculate that it comes from the 13th century Middle Eastern English word peridot, meaning "point of light" or "light button" an apt description for this gemstone given its brilliance. Other sources attribute it to French peritot, meaning "unclear", probably because of its silky appearance. Considering how long peridot has been around, the most likely candidate is the Arabic word faridat, which simply means "precious stone."
Myths and legends
Popular in Greek and Roman jewelry, peridot has been sought after since 1500 BC. when the Egyptians began mining on the island of Zeberget, later known as St Johns Island, about 8 miles from the Egyptian coast in the Red Sea. Interestingly, Zabargad is the Arabic word for peridot.
Peridot mining was traditionally done at night when this gemstone's natural glow made it easier to spot. The ancient Egyptians also believed that peridot became invisible under the sun's rays. They also believed that peridot was colored by the golden shimmer of their sun god Ra, and was thus a powerful protector from harm.
Powdered peridot has been used to cure asthma and a peridot placed under the tongue of someone with a high fever is believed to help.
Perhaps the most unusual peridot are those that come from meteorites called pallasites, after their 1772 discoverer, a German scientist named Peter Simon Pallas. Some are even multi-faceted and are included in jewelry, one of the few extraterrestrial gems known to man. In 2003, peridot was discovered on Mars, making it the first gemstone to be discovered on another planet.
Peridot facts
Peridot is a variant of olivine and has colors that vary from golden lime green to rich grass green. Traditionally, the most sought-after color shades have been rich grass greens.
While Arizona's San Carlos Apache Reservation has the world's largest Peridot gemstone deposit, China has recently become a major producer. In 1994 a new deposit was discovered in Pakistan, producing some of the finest peridot we have ever seen. The new mine is located 15,000 meters above sea level in the Nanga Parbat region far west of the Himalayan mountains in the Pakistani part of Kashmir.
Some of the world's finest peridots come from Pyaung Gaung, in the northern part of Burma's Mogok region.
Spinel:
Basic facts:
Origin: Burma, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania & Vietnam
Colors: Various
Family: Spinel: MgAl2O4
Hardness: 8
Refractive Index: 1.71 – 1.72
Specific Gravity: 3.54 – 3.63
Treatment: Normally not treated
The name spinel derives either from the Latin word for thorn, spina, as a result of spinel's characteristic crystals with pointed ends, or from the Greek word for spark, spintharis, referring to spinel's bright red hues.
Myths and legends
Spinel was often mistaken for ruby and because of this mistaken identity, spinel has received historical references. Spinels occupy a unique place in gemstone history. Although spinel is reported as a separate gemstone variety as early as 1587, the red spinel stones were mistaken for ruby due to its intense red color (similar to that of ruby). It was not only the color similarities that confused but also the proximity to ruby foundation stones. It was not until 1783 that Rom de L'Isle became the first scientist to clearly distinguish the differences between ruby and red spinel.
Red spinel's almost identical resemblance to ruby has resulted in red spinel being part of many of the world's most famous gemstone collections, including the Vatican and the Crown Jewels of Russia, Iran and England. Did you know that both the legendary 352 carat Timur ruby and the 170 carat Black Prince's ruby, which are part of the British Imperial State Crown, are actually red spinels?
Spinel facts:
Today, spinels can be easily identified by their refractive power. Because red spinels are single refractive and rubies are double refractive, the primary color in red spinels appears purer and more intense than the red color of many rubies.
Spinel occurs in many colors including red, blue, pink, orange and a variety of other fine colors. Like ruby, spinel is mined from alluvial deposits. Spinels come from a handful of sources including Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Tunduru in Tanzania and central Vietnam's Luc Yen region. While most gem connoisseurs associate Burma with the classic and most well-known source of fine red spinels, new discoveries in Tanzania's Mahenge region have given gem lovers new deposits of top quality red spinels.
Pure spinel is white, but impurities give it a wide range of colors. Almost all colors are used in jewelry, but the most valuable and popular color is red spinel. Despite being more affordable, did you know that spinels are rarer than rubies? Spinels are intensely colored & durable gemstones perfect for all types of jewelry.
August is one of three birth months represented by three different gemstones. In 2016, August joined June and December as one of the three birth months represented by three different gemstones.
The original birthstone for August was sardonyx, and then peridot was added and became August's primary gemstone. The addition of spinel, which comes in a variety of colors, gives August babies a plethora of options! Learn more about August's different birthstones by exploring below.
Peridot:
Basic facts:
Month stone: August
Origin: Burma, Kenya, China, Pakistan, USA & Vietnam
Colors: Green to green/yellow
Family: Olivine: (Mg2Fe2)SiO4
Hardness: 6.5 – 7
Refractive Index: 1.65 – 1.70
Specific Gravity: 3.28 – 3.48
Treatment: Not treated
Peridot was called the "gem of the sun" by the ancient Egyptians and the "emerald of the evening" by the Romans. Peridot was a favorite gemstone of Cleopatra and was historically often mistaken for emerald.
The origin of Peridot's name is uncertain, but several theories exist. Some sources speculate that it comes from the 13th century Middle Eastern English word peridot, meaning "point of light" or "light button" an apt description for this gemstone given its brilliance. Other sources attribute it to French peritot, meaning "unclear", probably because of its silky appearance. Considering how long peridot has been around, the most likely candidate is the Arabic word faridat, which simply means "precious stone."
Myths and legends
Popular in Greek and Roman jewelry, peridot has been sought after since 1500 BC. when the Egyptians began mining on the island of Zeberget, later known as St Johns Island, about 8 miles from the Egyptian coast in the Red Sea. Interestingly, Zabargad is the Arabic word for peridot.
Peridot mining was traditionally done at night when this gemstone's natural glow made it easier to spot. The ancient Egyptians also believed that peridot became invisible under the sun's rays. They also believed that peridot was colored by the golden shimmer of their sun god Ra, and was thus a powerful protector from harm.
Powdered peridot has been used to cure asthma and a peridot placed under the tongue of someone with a high fever is believed to help.
Perhaps the most unusual peridot are those that come from meteorites called pallasites, after their 1772 discoverer, a German scientist named Peter Simon Pallas. Some are even multi-faceted and are included in jewelry, one of the few extraterrestrial gems known to man. In 2003, peridot was discovered on Mars, making it the first gemstone to be discovered on another planet.
Peridot facts
Peridot is a variant of olivine and has colors that vary from golden lime green to rich grass green. Traditionally, the most sought-after color shades have been rich grass greens.
While Arizona's San Carlos Apache Reservation has the world's largest Peridot gemstone deposit, China has recently become a major producer. In 1994 a new deposit was discovered in Pakistan, producing some of the finest peridot we have ever seen. The new mine is located 15,000 meters above sea level in the Nanga Parbat region far west of the Himalayan mountains in the Pakistani part of Kashmir.
Some of the world's finest peridots come from Pyaung Gaung, in the northern part of Burma's Mogok region.
Spinel:
Basic facts:
Origin: Burma, Madagascar, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Tanzania & Vietnam
Colors: Various
Family: Spinel: MgAl2O4
Hardness: 8
Refractive Index: 1.71 – 1.72
Specific Gravity: 3.54 – 3.63
Treatment: Normally not treated
The name spinel derives either from the Latin word for thorn, spina, as a result of spinel's characteristic crystals with pointed ends, or from the Greek word for spark, spintharis, referring to spinel's bright red hues.
Myths and legends
Spinel was often mistaken for ruby and because of this mistaken identity, spinel has received historical references. Spinels occupy a unique place in gemstone history. Although spinel is reported as a separate gemstone variety as early as 1587, the red spinel stones were mistaken for ruby due to its intense red color (similar to that of ruby). It was not only the color similarities that confused but also the proximity to ruby foundation stones. It was not until 1783 that Rom de L'Isle became the first scientist to clearly distinguish the differences between ruby and red spinel.
Red spinel's almost identical resemblance to ruby has resulted in red spinel being part of many of the world's most famous gemstone collections, including the Vatican and the Crown Jewels of Russia, Iran and England. Did you know that both the legendary 352 carat Timur ruby and the 170 carat Black Prince's ruby, which are part of the British Imperial State Crown, are actually red spinels?
Spinel facts:
Today, spinels can be easily identified by their refractive power. Because red spinels are single refractive and rubies are double refractive, the primary color in red spinels appears purer and more intense than the red color of many rubies.
Spinel occurs in many colors including red, blue, pink, orange and a variety of other fine colors. Like ruby, spinel is mined from alluvial deposits. Spinels come from a handful of sources including Tajikistan, Sri Lanka, Madagascar, Tunduru in Tanzania and central Vietnam's Luc Yen region. While most gem connoisseurs associate Burma with the classic and most well-known source of fine red spinels, new discoveries in Tanzania's Mahenge region have given gem lovers new deposits of top quality red spinels.
Pure spinel is white, but impurities give it a wide range of colors. Almost all colors are used in jewelry, but the most valuable and popular color is red spinel. Despite being more affordable, did you know that spinels are rarer than rubies? Spinels are intensely colored & durable gemstones perfect for all types of jewelry.