Description
In contrast to the penultimate turn of the century around 1900, pieces of jewelry with peridots are relatively rare today. Yet their vibrant, fresh green color is unusually beautiful and their story worth telling.
In the late years of the Victorian reign, the British rediscovered an ancient, legendary place: St. John’s Island in the Red Sea off Egypt – around 80 kilometers off the coast. The peridot was recovered here in ancient times. According to legend, it was the favorite stone of the last pharaoh Cleopatra. The stone was forgotten for almost two millennia and it was only after 1882 that peridot mining was resumed: it became the focus of elegant jewelry designs and was soon referred to as the English emerald. Most ancient peridot stones came from there. It is still mined there in very small quantities today.
The grass-green peridot between the open, intersecting shoulders set with diamonds looks light and lively. This design is complimented by the delicate ring shank with a semi-circular profile.
