Quick Myths! : Peridot-Gem of the Month

Peridot is my favorite stone of course because it is the stone for my birthday. Peridots are the birthstone for August. It is also the Zodiac sign of Libra. Peridot is the gem form of the mineral olivine and is sometimes called Chysolite. Peridots in small crystals can often be found in the rocks created by volcanoes and also can be found in meteors that have fallen on earth.  Also during the Crusades it was brought back to the Mediterranean area and used to decorate European cathedrals.

Now for some myths! Peridot was called "Gem of the Sun" by the ancients and they believed it had the power to dissolve enchantments and to drive evil spirits away. It is thought to bring the wearer good luck, success,and peace, while its powers include health, protection, and sleep. For a peridot to work as a full talisman it had to be set in gold which was thought to drive away terrors of the night. When ground up into powder it was used as a remedy for asthma and when held under the tongue it was thought to lessen the thirst in fever. When peridot was used as a protection againt the tricks of evil spirits it was pierced and then strung on the hair of a donkey and attached to the left arm. The advantages of peridot are to attract love and calm anger while also soothing nerves and getting rid of negative emotions.

Random Fact!- Legend has said that one of Cleopatra's favorite stones was peridot and that some of the "emeralds" worn by her were actually peridots.

Also many people make the mistake of pronouncing peridot like pear-i-dot whereas it really should be pronounced as pear-i-doe.

The Black Prince's Ruby

The Castille (a medieval kingdom from the Iberian Peninsula) was ruled by a terrible and justifiably named king in  the fourteenth century.  One day, Abu Said who was an Arab cheiftain who still ruled Spain came to surrender. After hearing that Abu Said had with him jewels of great worth, including a exquisite ruby, in which Peter welcomed him amiably and invited the chieftain to dinner.  During the banquet Peter had Abu's servants killed while he personally stabbed Abu to death. The infamous ruby was found on the corpse.

Peter called England to his aid when his subjects and his brother rebelled against him. Peter was also called the Black Prince. In return of England's aid, Peter rewarded them with Abu Said's ruby.  The ruby was made into a part of the Crown Jewels of England and was worn by Henry V on his helmet in 1415 when he crushed the French forces at Agincourt.  Later at the Battle of Bosworth, Richard III wore the ruby in his helmet.  Under Oliver Cromwell the Puritans destroyed, dispersed, and melted the Crown Jewels. The Black Prince's Ruby was bought by a jeweler who resold to Charles II after the reformation of the Stuarts in 1660.

Interesting enough, later testing of the ruby found it to be not a ruby but a precious spinel, which is a natural stone.  This spinel  has almost the same value as a ruby and is very distinctive in shape and size.