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Birthstones For August
Peridot and Sardonyx have both been considered as birthstones for August.
The first, Peridot, also known as chrysolite, is a transparent yellow-green
or leaf-green (or even bottle-green) stone found in New Mexico, Arizona,
and in the Navajo country in Utah. It is a variety of Olivene, a series of
minerals with a glassy luster, a hardness of 6.5 to 7, a conchoidal
fracture, and a fair cleavage. It is found in igneous rock.
The other, Sardonyx, a form of onyx, is the more traditional August
birthstone. It is a variety of cryptocrystalline quartz which has alternate
banding of white and reddish brown layers. This gem varies from translucent
to opaque, and makes beautiful cabochons. Brazil, India, and Uruguay are
the best known sources.
-- by Axel E. Janson
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