Frequently asked questions

• Is peridot in this collection natural, or is it treated?

  Peridot is one of the few gem materials that reaches the market essentially untreated. It is not routinely dyed, heated, irradiated, or stabilized, so the green you see is the stone's natural color from iron content in the olivine structure. Color varies by origin — Arizona (San Carlos) material tends toward yellow-green, while Pakistani and Burmese stones often show a cleaner, more saturated green. If a specific strand has been oiled or coated for any reason; ask before buying if treatment isn't specified.
• How durable is peridot for finished jewelry?

  Peridot sits at 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, which is fine for earrings, pendants, and necklaces but marginal for rings worn daily. The bigger durability concern isn't scratching — it's sensitivity. Olivine is brittle, prone to thermal shock, and reactive to acids (including sweat and household cleaners over time). For bracelets, expect more contact wear than with quartz or agate at the same hardness. Designers building heirloom-grade rings often steer clients toward sturdier greens; peridot shines in lower-impact formats where its color and clarity carry the piece.
• How should I clean and care for peridot beads?

  Stick to mild soap, lukewarm water, and a soft cloth. Skip the ultrasonic and steam cleaners — peridot can fracture along internal inclusions when thermally shocked, and many strands have liquid or crystal inclusions that make this risk real. Avoid acids entirely: lemon juice, vinegar, and pickling solutions will etch the surface and dull the polish. Store peridot separately from harder stones (quartz, topaz, corundum) to prevent scratching, and tell finished-piece customers to remove jewelry before swimming, cleaning, or applying lotion and perfume.
• What jewelry styles does peridot work best in?

  Peridot's yellow-green is unusual in the bead trade — it sits between the blue-greens of amazonite and chrysoprase and the warmer greens of serpentine or new jade. The microfaceted rondelles and rounds in 3–4mm pair well with gold-fill and yellow-toned metals, which amplify the warmth. Larger faceted rounds and pebble shapes work as focal stones with cool counterpoints — labradorite, moonstone, or tanzanite-tone beads. August birthstone pieces are an obvious application, but peridot also reads as a sophisticated alternative to emerald green in spring and summer palettes.
• What stones get confused with peridot in the bead trade?

  Peridot's distinctive yellow-green narrows the look-alike list, but a few stones come close. Green tourmaline can match the color but is harder, denser, and usually shows stronger pleochroism. Chrysoberyl and demantoid garnet overlap in faceted goods but rarely appear as bead strands. The more common confusion is with green glass and dyed quartz sold under loose trade names — both lack peridot's signature doubling of back facets visible under loupe magnification. Tsavorite garnet and aquamarine sit in adjacent color spaces but read distinctly bluer or cleaner-green to a trained eye.