Gem-name guide / Gem variety

Peridot

(Mg,Fe)₂SiO₄

Peridot is gem-quality olivine, usually rich in the magnesium endmember forsterite. Olivine forms a compositional series rather than a single fixed-composition gem species. The linked forsterite record describes that endmember, not every possible peridot composition.

Material or mineral family: Forsterite
Name classification: Gem variety
Mohs hardness: 6.5–7
Typical colour: Yellow-green to green

Explore the mineral record

Open Forsterite record →

Read the gemological source ↗

Names describe materials, not the authenticity, treatment, provenance or quality of a particular specimen. Physical properties vary for mixed materials; values absent from this guide have not been estimated.

Reference snapshot: September 2026. Source dates and uncertainties are retained in the record.