Wednesday, July 29, 2009

Peridot: The poor man’s ...


Peridot is usually pronounced as pair-uh-doe and it’s an array of olivine (not a certified mineral) that is consisted of two minerals known as fayalite and forsterite. Fayalite (Fe2Si04) is iron rich while forsterite (Mg2Sio4) is a manganese rich mineral. To show the exchange of magnesium and iron; olivine is chemically formulated as (Mg, Fe) 2Sio4. Though iron serves as a coloring agent for Peridot, yet in composition Peridot is often nearer to forsterite instead of fayalite. A peridot, which has less than 15% of iron and has some trace elements like nickel and chromium, is considered the best in color.

A large number of gemstones that have a mineral origin form in the crust of the earth. But peridot and diamond are two such elements as form deeper in the earth and this deeper region is known as mantle. Peridot crystals are found 20 to 55 miles deeper and they pop up on the surface due to tectonic or volcanic activity. Similarly, diamonds form around 100-150 miles below the surface where temperatures and pressures are extreme.

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