Peridot (classic Arizona material)

Item Description

A lovely, brightly colored and hard to find old Peridot gem from San Carlos that dates back several decades. These distinctive and valued gems are among the finest quality Peridot gems ever found, but they are rarely seen on the market today. I want to note that the majority of the world's supply of gem quality Peridot (especially before anything came out of Pakistan) came out of the San Carlos Indian Reservation in Arizona. The material is well-known for its vibrant green color and great clarity. Most of the stones you'll see from this locality are under 1 carat in weight, so this gem is good sized for the material. The stone has a beautiful saturated green hue, with nearly eye-clean clarity and a fantastic "Round Brilliant" cut. Everybody is familiar with Peridot gems, but there are truly only a few places in the world that produce fine stones of Peridot in any quantity. The San Carlos examples are by far the most famous and finest quality Peridot stone from any locality in North American, and arguably the Western Hemisphere.
This stone is from the estate of former Phoenix area dealer Marvin Rockey. Rockey's Gems was a significant business in the early days of Arizona lapidary material, and he was a prominent dealer and buyer in the Arizona area of local lapidary and carving material from throughout the state, including Bisbee, the Ray Mine, Miami mines, and the Peridot finds on Indian lands in the 1950s-1970s. This stone was kept back from the retail stock for its quality and beauty, in a tray of special material, and was found in his estate (sold to us recently). Today, these are not only rarely seen but of a highly desirable old quality, and sought after by collectors and gem / jewelry enthusiasts alike.