The gorgeous hue of lime green and olive green are the most desirable and sought after colors of peridot. Also  found in yellowish green and brown but these are the least favorite colors. Its a stone that is found in the earths mantle and carried to the surface by volcanic eruptions. The majority comes from Arizona but there is also a supply in China, Pakistan and Myanmar. Peridot has been worn for centuries and is said to protect and heal the wearer as well as provide them with power and influence. Its a great stone for finished jewelry because it has a hardness of 6.5-7, with 10 being the hardest. This provides good durability for wear. Great paired with tanzanite and diamonds for an impact of color.

Newly added to august birthstones is spinel. I recently spoke about  spinel in my last blog post as a rising star gem for jewelry designers because they come in a rainbow of great colors!  Vivid red is the most desirable but also comes in cobalt blue, bright pink, orange, black,violet blue, greenish blue, gray, pale pink, mauve and brown. The most famous rubies in history are really spinels, so they have been around a long time without correctly being identified. Also a great choice for finished jewelry because it has a hardness of 8, making it very durable.

I hope all you August babies take advantage of these two great stones and indulge a little !!

                         Peridot                                                Spinel