Peridot (also called Olivine), was a favorite gem in the Egyptian culture and Egypt was the main producer of peridot for a many years. Today it's found in Pakistan , China , Burma and Arizona . This is a transparent gem of green and yellow shades and despite a very poor display of brilliance; it is usually saturated with lovely green color. Ranging from pale yellowish greens to the more typical medium greens and finally to rare, deeply dark sap-greens, this is a very popular gem in today's market. It is rated 6.5 of the Moh scale, but chips very easily. It's a good choice for many people because of its affordability, and you can find even high quality peridot for $50-$300 per carat for any peridot smaller than 5 carat and about $100-$500 per carat for 5-10 carat weight gems.

They are occasionally imitated in glass or synthetic spinels, but they are rarely treated, so they are a relatively safe purchase.