Peridot (fine rare locality gem)

Item Description

Peridot is one of the great old gems from antiquity. While you can find mention of Peridot going back thousands of years, there aren't too many places that produce fine gem material in a reliable quantity. Going back to the mid 20th century, a good amount of the world's supply of gem quality Peridot (especially before anything came out of Pakistan) was in the San Carlos Indian Reservation in Arizona. These classic stones are renowned for their 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. One rarely finds confirmed San Carlos gems in this size on the market. The stone has a beautiful saturated yellow-green hue, with very slight inclusions and a "Round Brilliant" cut. Sure, 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 specimens are by far the most famous and finest quality Peridot gems from any locality in North American, and arguably the Western Hemisphere. Priced in the inventory at $519.00. 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 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.