
Native Hawaiians call it the tears of the Goddess of
Fire.
PERIDOT
by
Jon Ber
In Roman times,
It became known as "Evening Emerald" because it was easier
to find when illuminated by lamplight at night.
Peridot (silent t) in the Bible under the Hebrew name
Pitdah, is considered to be one of the original birthstones
set in Aaron's the Jewish High Priest breastplate -
representing the 12 tribes of Israel.
Peridot is the
birthstone for August and the zodiac sign Leo. It is a
volcanic gemstone that was described by native Hawaiians as
the tears of the Goddess of Fire.
During 4000 years of usage in jewelry making and religious
ceremonies, Peridot was sometimes confused with other
gemstones.
One such case is an attribution of Emeralds in Queen
Cleopatra Jewels, but it is believed that the reference is
to Peridot.
The best recently discovered Peridot specimens comes from
Pakistan and Miramar (Burma) replacing the traditional
ancient discoveries at the Egyptian Mediterranean coast.
Gem quality Peridot has also been found in the USA
(Arizona, Utah and Hawaii) and in Mexico Brazil &
Australia.
Jon Ber is the publisher of jonber.com, a former
investigative journalist and a traveler of seventy
countries living in North Carolina USA .
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