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The Birthstone for August
For people born in August, Peridot makes a great August birthstone. This yellowish to green gemstone is called the “gem of the sun” by the Egyptians and is formed deep in the Earth’s magma and erupted to the surface of the volcanoes and is sometimes found in comet dust and meteorites.
Peridot is also called olivine or chrysolite which is a group of minerals where peridot belongs.
What’s The Color Of the August Birthstone?
The August birthstone gets its unique yellow-green color from the iron in its chemical composition and not from any trace amounts of impurities like in other gemstones.
Fun fact, peridot is one of few gemstones which come in one color. However, the shades can vary from brownish-green to olive to yellowish-green, depending on the amount of iron present.
The August birthstone color is green. Also, peridot is never too dark and never too light, but has a well-saturated hue.
In the past few years, there’s been an increase of lively and vibrant colored peridot from Myanmar. These peridots are usually clean and available in larger sizes. Also, they are more expensive since the clarity, color and size are quite uncommon from other locations.
August Birthstone: Etymology, History, and Folklore
Peridot comes from the Arabic terms “faridat” meaning gem.
The first appearance of Peridot in the historical lore and references was before the recorded time in the Hawaiian creation myths. Here, peridot was known as the “tears of Madame Pele”, a goddess of fire and volcanoes and revered as the creator of the Hawaiian Islands.
The August gemstone has been mined for as long as the 2nd millennium BC. This is when the Egyptians uncovered this so-called “gem of the sun” from the Topazios Island in the Red Sea. The miners were reported to unearthed this gemstone at night because of the mystical way it glows in the dark.
This is also one of the reasons why peridot was also called the “evening emerald”, because of the way it gives off a brilliant green under artificial lighting. In fact, most historians believed that the notorious emerald collection of Cleopatra was actually peridot.
Peridot, once known as chrysolite, was also featured on the breastplate of Aaron, representing one of the twelve Israel tribes.
Worn throughout the ages, peridot is known for its curative and mystical properties. It was officially recognized as the August birthstone in the year 1912 by the Jewelers of America.
The Spiritual Meaning of August Birthstone
Peridot has long been known to help friendship flourish as well as purifying the mind from negative energies and thoughts, especially hatred and jealousy. Furthermore, peridot is popular for providing its wearer with good cheer and delight while also attracting lovers.
First used as a talisman, peridot has had a long-standing mystical reputation since the ancient world. It was believed to ward off depression and anxiety and making men and women more expressive of their feelings and promoting successful marriage and relationships.
Peridot was also known to fight against enchantments. In order to give its full potential, peridot was set in gold and provide absolute protection against evil spirits and energies when pierced, strung on a donkey’s hair, and worn on your left arm.
Meanwhile, the ancient Romans wore peridot rings during battle which represents strength and for protection. Meanwhile, the ancient Egyptian priests ground this gemstone into a powder and mixing them with drinks. It is used in ceremonies and drinking this concoction was said to bring them closer to nature.
In today’s world, wearing peridots is said to help increase contentment and financial solidity in life. It is also linked with loyalty, prosperity, honesty, love, optimism, and faithfulness.
The August stone is also believed to reduce negative thinking, stress, as well as enhancing harmony, especially in relationships and marriage by preventing anger and jealousy.
More importantly, peridot is said to help you follow your true desires and passion with most people claiming that it can increase your focus and willpower to do anything.
Another significance of the August gemstone is that it is widely associated with fame. Most people born in August turn out to be quite famous including Usain Bolt, Tom Brady, Cameron Diaz, Roger Federer, and Halle Berry.
The Health Benefits and Healing Properties of the August Birthstone
The August birthstone is known for its powerful healing abilities for the eyes, heart, spleen, stomach, liver, sinuses, lungs and breast, among other organs. It also has the power to cure asthma. Furthermore, it was believed that holding peridot under your tongue can lessen your thirst and prevent fever.
In terms of mental and spiritual health, peridot was said to improve your heart chakra, helping cleanse all negative emotions and making you feel blissful, light, and ready to forgive and love.
This gemstone is also known to have powerful detoxifying capabilities. It is believed to help enhance blood circulation, improve metabolism, boost digestion and strengthen your immune system. Plus, it has the ability to reduce stress and remove exhaustion and apathy.
People who wear peridot were also believed to rarely develop an illness. Known as the “vitamin D of healing crystals”, this August gemstone can help slow down the aging process and offer you a refreshing and young look.
Peridot is also known to treat problems with the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, thymus, gallbladder, and spleen. Wearing it on the affected area allows the stone to absorb negative energies causing pain.
Durability of the August Birthstone
Peridot Hardness
The peridot’s hardness, according to the Mohs hardness scale, ranges from 6.5 – 7. This means that this August birthstone has very good wearability suitable for all kinds of jewelry.
Peridot Toughness
The toughness of this gemstone ranges from fair – good. This puts the August gemstone in the field of durability slightly below quartz.
This means that peridot jewelry can be worn every day prone to heavy damage such as bracelets and rings. Obviously, in earrings, necklaces, and pendants, a peridot gemstone doesn’t require as much care and can be worn daily without worries.
Peridot Stability
Although it has good hardness and toughness, peridot does not do well on uneven or rapid heat. It is stable to light but can easily get damaged by sulphuric acid and hydrochloric acid. Also, it can get damaged by acid perspiration over a long period of time.
Caring and Cleaning August Birthstone
How To Clean Peridot?
Peridot is relatively easy to care and maintain. You don’t need to use special cleaning agents to clean it, just a mild soap, warm water, and a soft brush will do.
Soak the peridot in a bowl with warm soapy water. After a few minutes, scour the stone with a soft brush. Rinse it with clean and warm water then dry with a soft cloth. It should never be air-dried since it will leave spots.
The August birthstone should never be cleaned with steam cleaners or ultrasonic cleaners. You also need to avoid high temperatures since this can cause discoloration on the stones.
Meanwhile, household cleaners like sulphuric and hydrochloric acid can cause the gemstone to lose its shine. Also, if you wear Peridot every day, make sure to apply perfumes and makeup first before wearing the Peridot jewelry since the chemicals on the beauty products you use can compromise its color.
How To Store Peridot?
Whether you use a simple plastic organizer box or a dedicated jewelry box, it is suggested that you keep a piece of peridot jewelry separated from other stones with jewelry bags to avoid scratches from harder stones. You can even use acid-free paper envelopes to organize your peridot jewelry or display them in glass jars with foam inserts.
The Cost of August Birthstones
Peridot is rather an inexpensive stone in small sizes. However, peridots weighing over 5 carats are definitely more expensive, with the rarer 10 – 15-carat peridots costing more.
The price of peridot ranges from at least $10 per carat for the well-cut gemstones and up to $150 for the finer 4.5 carats peridots with top color and clarity.
The common yellowish-green peridots under 5 carats are generally lower than the rarer colored peridots that can fetch a thousand per carat.
Peridot Alternatives: Secondary August Birthstones
The month of August actually has 3 different gemstones. Peridot is the official and primary birthstone then spinel and sardonyx.
Sardonyx
Sardonyx is a brownish to a red variant of onyx. It gets its red bands from sard minerals, the name Sardonyx.
Its history can be traced father than peridot, once again in Egypt, where this stone was associated with happiness, courage, clear communication, and stability in relationships and marriage.
Although Sardonyx is mostly used to create cameos of Venus, it is worn on necklaces by women who wish to harness the power of the goddess of love. Form men, it is the power of Mars, the goddess of war, hoping to gain protection from their enemies and battle.
Like Peridot, Sardonyx has the same hardness of 6.5 – 7 on the Mohs scale and can be cleaned the same. Unlike peridot, Sardonyx is not treated in any way and is often manipulated with the use of dyes, thus Sardonyx treated in such a way should never be soaked in water.
Spinel
Another great secondary birthstone for people born in August is Spinel. The name was derived from the Latin word “spina” which means “thorn” because of its thorn-like form. This gemstone occurs in various colors like rich red and rose pink, light to deep blue, deep violet to lavender as well as brown, yellow, black, and orange.
Renowned for its calming energies, spinel is a soothing stone and is suitable for anyone suffering from anxiety and depression. The stone is also believed to encourage healing and renewal. Depending on its color, spinel has different healing properties.
Both pink and green spinel offer compassion and love. Red spinel help enhance vitality. Violet spinel helps with spiritual development. While the yellow ones are associated with intellectuality.
This gemstone sits at level 8 of the Mohs scale, making it tougher than peridot and sardonyx. Spinel is also highly resistant to mechanic shock, breaking, or chipping, giving it a high durability rating. This means that spinel is suitable for everyday purposes in all kinds of jewelry.
Conclusion
The people born in August are considered to be the luckiest due to the fact that they can enjoy the benefits of 3 powerful birthstones. Not only do these stones have powerful attributes but they are also extremely unique and exquisite.
Other than their mystical prowess that promises wellbeing and good health, they are also durable enough and quite beautiful to wear as jewelry. So, if you are searching for a powerful and beautiful piece of jewelry that can bring stability and happiness to your life, then look no further than these exotic and charming August birthstones.