Peridot is a green gem quality variety of Olivine. It is a magnesium-rich silicate mineral that consists of olivine, silicate, magnesium and iron that forms in a orthorhombic crystal system. Peridot is one of only two gems on the planet that forms in the molten rocks of the upper mantle rather than in the Earth’s crust. Peridot always occurs in olive green and ranges from a light yellow green to a deep leafy green color.

Although Olivine is a common mineral, the gem quality variety of Peridot is much more rare. After Peridot forms deep within the mantle of earth, lava flows brought it to the surface during volcanic eruptions. The most important deposits of Peridot today include the Kashmir region of Pakistan, northern Myanmar, Brazil, and the states of Arizona and Hawaii, U.S.A. Interestingly, Peridot crystals have been found in rare pallasite meteorites which formed over 4 billion years ago as well as on the moon!