PERIDOT : NOMAD GEMSTONE OF AUGUST

Peridot is August’s birthstone. The gems develop in mafic and ultramafic rocks—found in lava and carried to the surface during volcanic eruptions. In Hawaii, they are known as the Goddess Pele’s tears. Lantern light and moonlight cause peridot to glow, making them easier to mine and that is how they became known as the ‘Evening Emerald.’ The most common colors are lime green to olive green, though there is a range from brown to yellow green as well.

Egyptian papyri from 1500 B.C. tell us that peridot was mined on the mysterious Topazo Island, because it is often shrouded in a deep fog. Egyptians associated the stone with Isis, the Goddess of nature. Cleopatra often wore peridot - perhaps she used it to tame the four winds, as other ancients did, or perhaps she wore it to cure depression as the Romans believed.

For more than a decade, olive green (aka military) has been a go-to style color. Perhaps balancing out the shades of aggression with a touch of peace as we enter the Age of Aquarius are Fall 2014's runway looks. There's Balmain’s postmodern suits, shift dresses with cerebral accessories by MM6 (Maison Martin Margiela) and Isabel Marant’s shiny camo shirts. Marc by Marc Jacobs features peridot dresses layered on grunge inspired full tulle skirts. Emilio Pucci's studded peridot gladiator sandals anchor gilded gowns.

It may not always be easy being green—but what about peridot, emerald’s relaxed cousin? Burn a Cire Trudon peridot candle. The “Trianon” is a country green blend of Marie Antoinette's favorite aromas – including roses, galbanum and cyclamen flowers from the meadows of France. Poured from vegetable-based wax and set in hand-blown glass, this piece is meant to suggest the scent of the Versailles countryside.

Claire Fontaine’s Gather in Multiple Groups displays a cluster of peridots. Lee Bontecou intertwines sculptural solar systems in peridot shades, creating cocoon-like mobile structures of gas masks and World War II helmets, fish and insects. Lisa Yuskavage’s The Smoker is a peridot-enveloped vision of Sapphic vacancy. The poetic Vietnamese film The Scent of Green Papaya tells its drama in a Peridot palette.

Lion hearted Leo will benefit a great deal from wearing it. It is also a healing stone that is said to have a high vibrational energy ordering the chakras of the heart and solar plexus. Wear a long peridot necklace to receive the benefits of the stone. It will provide balance and offer protection –not just for you, but those around you as well. A peridot will open the heart to joy and new relationships. It is the perfect gift between lovers, especially new loves, because it strengthens growing affections – like new buds on a tree. Wear a peridot to tap into the beauty of green energy, nature and love—especially in August—, and see if it also brings you luck.

~ Alba Brunetti

August