August is a month of warmth, and its birthstone matches that mood perfectly. The August birthstone peridot is known for its bright, olive-green colour, a shade that seems to hold sunlight even after the stone leaves the ground. For anyone with an August birthday, or anyone simply drawn to its glow, peridot makes a piece of jewellery that feels both cheerful and quietly meaningful.
At Jemme Jewellery on Jl. Petitenget in Seminyak, peridot is one of the gemstones we return to often. It photographs beautifully against Bali’s greenery and beaches, but more than that, it carries a history worth knowing before you buy.
What Is Peridot?
Peridot is a variety of the mineral olivine, and it is one of the few gemstones that forms in a single colour rather than a range. That colour sits somewhere between lime and olive green, with the richest stones showing a deeper, almost golden-green tone. Unlike many gemstones that form deep within the earth’s crust, peridot often forms in magma from the upper mantle, which is part of why fine specimens are relatively rare compared to other August-adjacent stones like spinel.
Most of the world’s peridot today comes from Pakistan, Myanmar, Arizona in the United States, and a handful of other sources, though history tells a more colourful story about where the stone was first prized.
A Brief History of Peridot
Peridot has been mined for thousands of years, and one of its earliest known sources is the small volcanic island of Zabargad in the Red Sea, once called Topazios by the ancient Egyptians. Cleopatra is often said to have collected emeralds, but historians now believe many of the “emeralds” in her famous jewellery were actually peridot, mined from this same island.
The stone earned the nickname “the evening emerald” because its green glow remains visible even under lamplight, unlike many other green gemstones that dull after dark. It has also turned up in medieval church treasuries across Europe, where large peridot stones were sometimes mistaken for emeralds and set into religious artefacts.
In more recent history, peridot has become associated with protection and positivity, particularly the idea of warding off negative energy and easing stress. Whether or not you put stock in that symbolism, there is something undeniably lifting about the colour itself.
Why Peridot Suits Bali So Well
There is a natural connection between peridot and the landscape here. The stone’s green tone echoes the rice terraces and jungle canopy you see across the island, and it pairs beautifully with gold settings, which bring out its warmth, as well as with silver, which lets the colour take centre stage.
Peridot also tends to be more accessible than stones like emerald or sapphire, which makes it an appealing choice for travellers who want a genuine gemstone piece without the price tag of rarer options. That combination of colour, history, and value is part of why it remains a favourite request at our Seminyak store.
How to Choose Quality Peridot Jewellery
If you are shopping for peridot, whether for an August birthday or simply because the colour caught your eye, a few things are worth knowing:
Colour depth matters most. The most desirable peridot has a rich, slightly golden-green hue without any brown or grey undertone. Paler stones are more common and more affordable, but a deeper green typically signals higher quality.
Clarity is usually good. Peridot tends to be eye-clean, meaning visible inclusions are less common than in stones like emerald. If a peridot looks cloudy or heavily included, it is worth asking questions before you buy.
Setting changes the feel entirely. A peridot ring in yellow gold reads as warm and classic, while the same stone set in white gold or silver feels crisper and more modern. Earrings and pendants let the colour catch the light with everyday movement, which is part of why they are popular travel purchases.
Peridot Jewellery at Jemme
At our Seminyak boutique, we carry peridot alongside our broader collection of coloured gemstone jewellery, including pieces in gold, silver, and combinations of the two. Our team can talk you through sourcing, carat weight, and setting options so you leave with a piece that actually suits how you will wear it, not just how it looks under boutique lighting.
If you are visiting Bali in August, or simply celebrating an August birthday from anywhere in the world, peridot is a gemstone worth getting to know. It has thousands of years of history behind it, a colour that genuinely earns its nickname, and a warmth that feels right at home on this island.
Visit Jemme Jewellery on Jl. Petitenget, Seminyak, to see our peridot and gemstone collections in person, or reach out to our team to ask about current pieces in stock.