Peridot — August's Stone
August
Lime green
Peridot is the gem form of the mineral olivine, one of few stones found in a single color—a distinctive yellow-green—and rating 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale.
What tradition gives the peridot
Gem lore is older than mineralogy and less careful — which is part of its charm. Worn for a birthday month, the peridot traditionally carries:
- Traditionally associated with light and warmth
- A stone of good cheer in tradition
Offered as tradition
Meanings here are cultural tradition — a way of giving a stone a story, never a claim about what it does.
The month around it
August's stone keeps company with the month's flower (Gladiolus), its full moon, the Sturgeon Moon, and the signs that pass through it — Leo and Virgo.