Design Tip

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Use pretty peridot for August designs

By Bethany Waldrop Keiper

"Green as cats' eyes, green as grass, by streams of water, green as glass." -- Margaret Wise Brown

Even though August may bring thoughts of the approach of autumn and back-to-school, there is still time to enjoy summer's sunny days. One of the most prevalent colors outdoors this time of year is green, which harmonizes with August's birthstone, peridot.

With its variety of green shades, peridot can carry you through summer's last days and into autumn's more earthy shades. The depth of peridot's green depends on how much iron is contained in the crystal structure, and varies from yellow-green to olive to brownish green.

Peridot is often seen combined in multi-stone sterling silver jewelry designs with amethyst, citrine, garnet, and blue topaz. For a little something different, let's take a look at this gem's color combined with gleaming shades of gold.

I've always thought gold and peridot are especially pretty together. For a soft, delicate look, try combining gold-etched, curved, peridot-colored glass leaves with clear, gold-etched flowers. Add some golden metal bicones, and you have a delicate bracelet or necklace.

In traditional crystal symbology green is most directly identified with healing, while yellow is linked with the will and intellect, according to the mineral specialists at Beyond the Rainbow. They explain that the gemstone peridot, with its spirited yellow-green, relates to healing the wounds of the ego.

Combining peridot-colored glass beads with gold and yellow may not actually help with healing, but it is a cheerful combination that can lift the spirit.

Millifiori beads are always fun, with their pretty floral motif. The bright green of peridot provides a perfect leaf-colored background to enhance the tiny flowers.

Shades of yellow and white are striking on this pretty peridot-colored heart, which would also make a perfect charm. A yellow crystal bicone adds a glowing accent and brings out the bright colors of the heart. A golden swirly flower bead makes a nice accent for a thick peridot-colored button bead with a white millifiori center. The more olive shade of the button bead is ready to accentuate your fall wardrobe.

The ancient Romans called peridot by another name -- the "Evening Emerald" -- because its color did not darken at night. And the Romans had it right, for peridot is perfect for evening wear.

Hand painted beads, with their distinctive designs, give beaded jewelry a "rich" look, especially when the beads are painted with gold. These striking peridot green and gold beads are given the royal treatment as they are combined with golden facetted firepolished beads and gold accent beads. This design would be perfect with an evening ensemble.

As many August-born people can tell you, the word "peridot" is often mispronounced ‘per-i-DOT' rather than the correct ‘per-i-doe'. This unusual name is believed to come from either the Arabic word faridat meaning "gem" or the French word peritot meaning "unclear."

Note: All of the "peridot" beads in these designs are peridot-colored glass; they are not made of the actual mineral.

Resources:

Hand painted green and gold 8mm dimpled beads and 12mm long oval beads, and rounded button beads in peridot green with white millifiori center, all courtesy of and available at the Bead Peddler. http://www.beadpeddler.com

Information about minerals and their meanings courtesy of Connie Barrett and Joyce Kaessinger of Beyond the Rainbow. http://www.rainbowcrystal.com

Gemstone history information from Wikipedia. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peridot

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