Peridot (ex Marvin Rockey estate)

Item Description

Peridot has been known for at least a couple thousand years, as the ancient Egyptians mined for the material on the Island of Zabargad. Peridot has a distinctive green hue which can range from a lemony-green to a rich apple-green hue. The actually etymology of the word Peridot is not known, as mindat.org states, " The origin of the name peridot is uncertain. The Oxford English Dictionary suggests an alteration of Anglo–Norman pedoretés (classical Latin pæderot-), a kind of opal, rather than the Arabic word faridat, meaning "gem" ". The majority of the world's supply of gem quality Peridot (especially before anything came out of Pakistan) is in the San Carlos Reservation in Arizona. The material is well known for its vibrant green color and great clarity. One rarely finds confirmed San Carlos gems on the market. The San Carlos piece are by far the most famous and finest quality Peridot gems from any locality in North American, and arguably the Western Hemisphere. This stone is a lovely "Step Round" cut gem with a bright yellow-green hue and virtually eye clen clarity. A fine quality gem for any fan of Peridot (the birthstone for August) or gems from Arizona. This gem 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 only 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.