August Gemstone
The peridot, the birthstone of August, is so radiant that it was called the "gem of the sun" by the ancients who believed it had the power to ward off darkness. The peridot is bright olive green, so brilliant that it flashes even in dim light. The peridot was favored for earrings because of the belief that its power over light was transferable to sound and would make even the faintest sound more audible. The peridot was thought to put evil spirits to flight, drive off the terrors of the night, and endow its owner with a sane mind, a kind temperament, and persuasive eloquence. For the peridot to exert its full powers as a talisman, however, it had to be set in gold. For it to work as a defense against the wiles of evil spirits, the stone had to be pierced and strung on the hair of an ass and then attached to the left arm! When ground into a powder, peridot was taken as a remedy for asthma and when held under the tongue, it was supposed to lessen the thirst of a fever. Many beautiful examples of peridot were brought back from the Mediterranean area during the Crusades, by loot or by trade. These found their way into the cathedrals of Europe where they were presented as emeralds. The peridot is sometimes called the "evening emerald." The most important source of peridot has been the island near Egypt in the Red Sea now known as St. John's (formerly Sebirget, which is the Arabic word for Peridot). It is here that the most beautiful medium-dark-green crystals are found. The mines that produced peridots were worked as early as 1500 BC., and in those days Zebirget was known as the Isle of Serpents because it was infested with poisonous snakes that made mining operations difficult. Later, a reigning Egyptian monarch had the snakes driven out so that work could proceed. The workers who lived on the island were forced by the king to dig for the stones and deliver them to the royal gem cutters. Reportedly, because it was difficult to distinguish the lustrous peridots in daylight, the searchers would go out at night, mark the location of the stones, and return the next day to work the area. The monarchs valued the stones so highly and feared theft so greatly, that guards were posted and ordered to kill any suspicious persons approaching the shore. As the birthstone for August, the peridot assures married happiness.