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