| What's your birthstone? Just about everyone | | | | four season. There are stones for days of the |
| knows the birthstone for the month they were | | | | week and hours of the day. Each of the twelve |
| born. Who began the tradition of birthstones | | | | apostles has a special stone and so do the |
| anyway? It may have become popular in the | | | | angels who guard the gates of heaven. Each |
| Middle Ages, at that time astrology was all | | | | zodiac sign has its own stone as well. |
| the rage, but it probably goes back much | | | | |
| further. A look at George Kunz's book The | | | | Olivine is normally an opaque rock, but as |
| Curious Lore of Precious Stones contains much | | | | peridot can sometimes be found as translucent |
| more information than this short article. | | | | stones or crystals. Normally it is associated |
| | | | with either basalt or peridotite. Small |
| According to Kunz; the Bible, the book of | | | | crystals form near these rocks while it cools |
| Revelations and possibly the book of Exodus | | | | slowly deep in the earth. The slower this |
| may give us a clue to where it began. The | | | | molten rock cools the larger the peridot |
| Talmud of Jewish tradition also mentions the | | | | crystals can grow. |
| use of precious stone as talismans. The | | | | |
| Jewish historian Josephus writing around 200 | | | | The gem gravels of Burma sometimes produce |
| AD, noted a connection between the months of | | | | large, nearly transparent stones of peridot. |
| the year and the breastplate of the high | | | | This is the main source of this stone, it is |
| priest in the Great Temple in Jerusalem. The | | | | also found on Zebirget Island in the Red Sea. |
| breastplate contained 12 different stones. | | | | Another more recent source is Arizona, USA. |
| | | | |
| This information is somewhat obscure. The | | | | Peridot or Chrysolite is August's birthstone |
| first temple was built by Solomon and then | | | | and it is also associated with the sun sign |
| destroyed. It was later rebuilt on the same | | | | Libra, the apostle St. Bartholomew, and the |
| site. The second temple was destroyed by the | | | | hour of 7AM. |
| romans about the time of Christ. The last | | | | |
| remnant is the wailing wall in Jerusalem. The | | | | Description: |
| contents of the temple including the | | | | |
| breastplate were lost. | | | | Peridot is the name applied by jewelers to |
| | | | the mineral known as olivine. The term |
| All these sources mention wearing or keeping | | | | chrysolite has also been applied to this |
| precious stones to influence unseen forces. | | | | material, especially to the pale-colored |
| However, the practice of wearing birthstone | | | | varieties. Gem-quality peridot is transparent |
| was not common until the 1500s in northern | | | | and occurs in yellowish green, green, |
| Europe, mostly Germany and Poland when | | | | greenish yellow, brownish green, and brown. |
| astrology gained it greatest popularity. | | | | It can be confused with demantoid garnet |
| Astrologers were considered scientist at that | | | | (often called "olivine" by jewelers), |
| time and everyone wanted a horoscope. It was | | | | emerald, tourmaline, chrysoberyl, zircon, |
| considered a real necessity. Although | | | | sapphire, synthetic sapphire, synthetic |
| astrology had external trappings of magic the | | | | spinel, doublets, and artificial and natural |
| information was based on biblical philosophy. | | | | glass (moldavite). |
| | | | |
| | | | Peridot is a magnesium-iron silicate, which |
| In the Middle Ages and the early Renaissance | | | | in fine quality, contains much more magnesium |
| in Europe almost all higher learning was | | | | than iron. Since the proportions vary in |
| based on religion. Most learning and | | | | different deposits, some property variation |
| "scientific research" took place in | | | | is expected. In the usual green or rare |
| monasteries and the few universities that | | | | brown, gem peridot is usually near 1.654 and |
| then existed. The Old Testament was | | | | 1.690 in refractive indices, with a |
| considered the source of all learning and | | | | birefringence near .036. The specific gravity |
| commentaries were written on just about every | | | | is usually near 3.32 to 3.35, but slightly |
| phrase or sentence it contained. This was the | | | | higher readings are occasionally encountered. |
| basis of a liberal arts education and covered | | | | |
| natural philosophy (science), rhetoric | | | | |
| (speech and debate), music, literature, art, | | | | Sources: |
| and other subjects. Religion was so | | | | |
| intertwined in the day to day existence. it | | | | Peridot forms in metamorphic contact zones |
| should be considered an integral part of the | | | | where high heat penetrates a layer of cooler |
| current culture. It was not until the | | | | sedimentary rock. Intrusive granitic magma |
| protestant reformation of Martin Luther begun | | | | increases the temperature of the solid rock |
| in 1517 that alternative world views could be | | | | to more than 1800 degrees Fahrenheit. Excited |
| examined without ridicule. Astrology could be | | | | by the heat energy, the atoms in the |
| explored beyond church sanctions. These lists | | | | sedimentary mineral break free of the crystal |
| are the result. | | | | structure and reform into new, more stable |
| | | | structures. |
| Each month has special stones and so do the | | | | |