Peridot

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Rarely seen today in the mineral marketplace, this fine, glassy and gemmy, yellow green peridot crystal is from St John's Island in the Red Sea. Significant for the size from this locality, it is complete and exceedingly bright and gemmy. Note that it has not been through a lab, and is shown exactly as it came out of the mine after light cleaning, with no fancy treatments. It can have the slight rust stain removed, if you desire - but that also helps prove the locality, as this association has a look different than Pakistani material. The specimen is from an old collection in Europe, said to have been traded out of the Smithsonian by Bill Larson in the 1970s. This is the world's oldest peridot deposit having been mined since the third century A.D. The mass is approx 9 grams and 43.92 carats (as written also on an old Smithsonian-style Riker box mount). It is certainly old, but no telling how old as these started in biblical times and stopped coming out in the 1950s. A fascinating article on this ancient locality can be found on mindat.org. Superb piece, large and showy for what it is, and truly irreplaceable on the market in general, these peridot have a special place in gemstone lore.