Natural Peridot Irregular Long Beads10-12mmx4-5mm, 16 inch strand

Best known for its lime-green color, the peridot receives its envious coloration from the composition of the mineral olivine. This is unlike many other gems, whose colors come from impurities. It’s one of the few gemstones that comes in a single color, too. However, peridot can vary in shade from yellow-green to olive to brown-green.

Peridots were first recorded on Topazios, a small island in the Red Sea now known as St. John’s Island or Zabargad Island. Pliny the Elder, an ancient Roman naturalist, is among those who have written about the island and its gemstones.

In the 1990s, deposits were discovered in Pakistan, producing some of the finest peridots ever found.

Today, the San Carlos Apache Reservation in southeastern Arizona is responsible for the majority of the world’s peridot supply.