Peridot Stud Earrings

Peridot stud earring set in sterling silver. 

Some of the most interesting geological facts about peridot. It is a type of olivine, which is the primary mineral found in Earth's red-hot mantle. Once olivine makes it to Earth's surface - usually through volcanic eruptions - it becomes unstable. For this reason, olivine is rarely gem-quality, and when it is we call it peridot. Most of the world's peridot is found on the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Eastern Arizona. This is where - millions of years ago - there was a violent volcanic eruption. The lava flows brought nodules of peridotite with them. When the firey magma cooled and hardened, it formed black basalt (lava rock), much of it ornamented with peridot crystals. Have you ever seen a lava rock crusted with peridot? Well, now you understand why they form that way!