The August birthstone is Peridot which is a gem quality Olivine and Silicate Mineral. This stone is sometimes called Chrysolite which is mentioned in the Bible as one the the 12 Gemstones on Aarons breastplate. In the USA it is found in Arizona, Arkansas, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, as well as Australia, Brazil, China, Egypt, Kenya, Mexico, Myanmar (Burma), Norway, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and Tanzania. Higher priced Peridots come from Arizona, Burma and Pakistan where they are considered a higher quality. Peridot is a fairly hard gemstone, 6.5-7 on the Mohs Harness Scale. This is one of the only gemstones that only comes in one color - olive green although this green can range from a yellow tint to brownish-green. The amount of green in the gemstone is dependent on the percentage of Iron in the stone.

Natural Perodit gets its beautiful vibrant green color from iron. Its base mineral Olivine is is a magnesium iron silicate that is the primary component of the Earths upper crust.