In this article
Written by Sameer
Reviewed on
Zabarjad has a special standing in our market, because some of the finest peridot in the world has come out of the mountains of northern Pakistan. With that supply close to home, buyers here see the whole range of quality, and the price gaps between grades can be wide. Here is what actually drives them.
Colour decides first
Peridot is one of very few gems that come in essentially a single colour, green, which it owes to iron in its structure. What varies is the exact shade. A pure, lively grass to lime green with no brown in it is what buyers want most. Stones that lean yellowish or olive-brown sit lower, and very pale stones lower again.
Clarity and the "lily pad"
A good peridot should look clean to the naked eye. Its signature inclusion is a small disc-shaped feather with a dark centre, which the trade calls a lily pad. One or two tiny ones hardly touch the value; visible ones in the middle of the table do.
Size, where Pakistani stones stand out
Small clean peridot is easy to find. Big clean stones with strong colour are not, and that is where the per-carat rate jumps. Kohistan in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa became known for giving larger clean crystals than most other sources, which is why sizeable stones show up more often here than in many other markets.
Cut and treatment
A well-proportioned cut brings out the brightness and avoids a dull, see-through centre. Peridot is almost never treated, so an untreated stone is the norm rather than something to pay extra for. Even so, ask the seller to put it in writing.
A quick authenticity check
The usual substitutes are green glass and moldavite. Peridot is strongly doubly refractive: look down through the table with a loupe and the back facet edges look doubled. Glass gives single, sharp edges and sometimes round bubbles. A flawless, intensely green, very cheap stone calls for caution.
Wearing peridot
At 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale peridot is fine in a ring, but a sharp knock on a corner can chip it, so a bezel or other protective setting is worth thinking about. Keep it away from acids and harsh cleaners.
Zabarjad in tradition
South Asian astrology links peridot with Mercury (Budh), and it is traditionally worn for well-being and new beginnings. These are beliefs, not promises. Settle the weight, metal and finger with your astrologer; our rashi guide lists the common pairings.
Before you hand over money
Make sure the stone is natural, any treatment is written down and the weight quoted is the cut weight. We check every stone ourselves and photograph each one on its own. Browse our peridot, or compare sunstone and aquamarine. Urdu and English names are on our gem names page. Cash on Delivery covers Karachi, where we are based and where parcels usually arrive in 1 to 2 working days, as well as Lahore and every other city.
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