Molecular Expressions : The Birthstone Collection - Peridot
"Peridot (pronounced pair-a-doe), or precious olivine, is a volcanic gemstone that was once treasured by native Hawaiians as the tears of the Goddess-of-Fire, Pele. The transparent green stone is a variety of the mineral olivine, a silicate found in many igneous rocks and a major constituent of the Earth's upper mantle. The crystal system is orthorhombic with a hardness slightly less than quartz. Small crystallites of peridot are often found in the basalt rocks created by volcanoes and have been found in iron-nickel meteorites called pallasites. Some specimens of extraterrestrial peridot have even been faceted and set into jewelry."
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