Emerald vs Peridot: Clearing the Differences

Emerald vs Peridot
Posted on March 30th, 2023 01:09 PM

Have you ever wondered how all your troubles, headaches, and lost enthusiasm can come back after one good sleep? One thing to notice here is nature is the biggest healer, and we realize that the answers are often around us. The only problem is we are unaware about such natural things, and today we’ll discover two of the biggest natural gemstones: Emerald vs Peridot. 

In the world of green gems, the most popular gems are emeralds and Peridot. While both gems are broadly the same in color, they have a distinct shade of green; emeralds tend to have a deeper, more verdant hue, whereas peridots are lighter and olive-colored. 

Read More:- Ruby vs Pink Sapphire

Let us begin with the difference between Emerald vs Peridot.



1. Formation

Emeralds are found in Columbia, Zambia, Canada, and Madagascar. They are formed in the earth’s crust in hydrothermal veins-channels through which hydrothermal fluids travel. These hydrothermal fluids are naturally heated water solutions created by geological events with different elements, gasses and compounds. 

Emeralds come from the mineral beryl, a combination of beryllium, aluminium, silicon, and oxygen. Add chromium to beryl, and if it turns green, it becomes an emerald. 

The best examples of Peridot come from Burma and Pakistan; it is one of only two gemstones formed in the mantle of the earth, deeper than other gemstones. Both peridots and diamonds are brought to the earth by geological events such as volcanic activity and the shifting of tectonic plates. Peridot is a variety of olivine - composed of fayalite and forsterite - with a depth of green depending on how much iron is present. 

2. Value and Rarity

Emeralds are rare, and their rarity, beauty, and historical significance make them valuable stone costing anywhere up to $5,000 per carat. This depends heavily on the quality, which is measured just like other stones - color, clarity, cut, and carat. 

Expand your knowledge through checking:- Panna stone

On the other hand, Peridot is a semi-precious stone and is more abundant than emeralds. It generally costs less and can be found at under $100 per carat. The average price ranges between $50-$80 USD for the average size of 1 carat. The finest quality, top-color are larger than 1-carat range steeper at $400-$450 USD. 

3. Cultural significance

Emeralds have been highly prized and sought after throughout history, with evidence of trade being as early as 4000 BC. It is the birthstone of May, and the stone is associated with Ireland and is known to open the heart. The green emerald symbolizes mother nature, and regeneration, growth and abundance are some of the meanings associated with it. 

Earlier records show that the Peridot was mined as far back as 1500 BC. It is often mistaken for other, more precious gemstones. Legend has it that Peridot was Cleopatra’s favorite gemstone, although she thought it was emerald. It is also the birthstone for August. The bright green color of the Peridot represents peace and harmony. It is supposed to provide better sleep to the wearer. It is also called the ‘stone of compassion’.




Read More:- Emerald vs Diamond

4. Composition

Emerald belongs to the mineral family, and chromium and sometimes vanadium in trace quantities give emeralds the distinct bluish-green hue. It is greatly desired because of its value, beauty, and rarity. It can sometimes be pricey, even more than a diamond. 

On the other hand, Peridot is made of a different mineral called olivine, and the green color results from trace amounts of iron present in the mineral. It is found in pieces, thus of lower quality than emerald. 


5. Clarity

Clarity, one of the four Cs of any gemstone, is valued; naturally occurring emeralds have inclusions and impurities visible to the naked eye. These impurities or inclusions add to the beauty of the emerald, and it is extremely rare to find a natural emerald without any inclusion. 

Peridot is valued more if its eyes are clean; here, the inclusions are supposed to add to the beauty of the stone. Most of the high-quality peridots are eye-clean. The best quality peridots have no eye-visible inclusions, with a few tiny black spots visible only under a microscope. 

6. Hardness

With a hardness of 8 on the 10-point Mohs scale, the emerald has fair to good toughness, making it a stone that requires more care to wear than ruby or sapphire. They are undoubtedly the most beautiful stones and will last for generations with proper care. 

Peridot ranges from about 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale and is fairly dense with specific gravity. It has a fair to good toughness and is durable enough for jewelry wear but should be worn with proper care as it is subject to scratch or fracture. 

Read More:- Emerald vs Sapphire


7. Tenacity

Naturally occurring emeralds with small fissures are sometimes called fractures or cleavage, though these represent different physical properties. These fissures make emeralds susceptible to chipping or breaking due to sudden impact. 

Peridot is considered softer than other gems, so proper care should be taken to prevent scratches. It is not sensitive to acid but does have a brittle tenacity. One should avoid exposure to high temperatures and climate change. It can easily be cleaned with warm, soapy water and a soft cloth. 


peridot


Emerald vs Peridot: Conclusion

Emeralds come with minute flaws and are preferred over the flawless version as they are more authentic. But if you wish to own a naturally flawless emerald, you must be ready to pay an extravagant price. 

Peridots, on the other hand, are seldom subject to treatments and do not include eye-visible inclusions. They are better for daily wear than emeralds, with better clarity. 

Hopefully, this blog clears all the differences between Emerald vs Peridot. Whatever the result, both of them make beautiful jewelry for any occasion, that’s for sure.

Read More: Amazing Tanzanite Stone Benefits & Healing Properties



Subscribe to our Newsletter:

×

Your Shopping Bag


Your shopping cart is empty.