A 2.95 carat peridot cabochon — 3.24 ratti — at Rs. 12,750, about Rs. 4,322 per carat.

A cabochon, and why that is a deliberate choice in peridot

Facet share measures 3.6%, well into the smooth half of this collection, where the most faceted stone reads 10.2%. This is a polished dome, not a faceted stone.

Most peridot is faceted, so a cabochon is a decision rather than a default. There are two good reasons for it. The first is that peridot's strong double refraction can make a faceted stone look slightly soft, because every back facet edge appears doubled — a dome sidesteps the problem entirely by having no internal facet edges to double. The second is that a cabochon keeps weight that faceting would remove, so a cabochon of a given carat weight looks larger face-up than a faceted stone of the same weight.

What a dome does to the colour

Green covers 84% of this stone. On a dome that colour reads as one continuous body rather than as flashes, which makes a cabochon the better choice when the colour itself is the point. Faceted stones trade some of that evenness for sparkle.

Setting it

A bezel suits a dome, protects the girdle and sits low. Ask the setter to work cold — peridot is 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale and hard enough to handle, but it tolerates heat poorly and can fracture under thermal shock.

Care

Never an ultrasonic cleaner. Peridot is one of the gems most commonly damaged by them. No steam, no sudden temperature change, and keep it away from household acids, which etch the surface. Warm water, mild soap and a soft brush is all it needs.

Recorded as an Afghan stone. Treatment has not been tested on this piece, and we say so rather than describing it as untreated. Dimensions and clarity are not recorded yet — ask and we will measure.

This particular stone

This listing is one natural peridot, known in Urdu as Zabarjad, with a weight of 2.95 Carat. Its price is Rs. 12,750 — roughly Rs. 4,322 for each carat. Origin: Afghanistan. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000338 when you message us about it. The photographs show this exact stone, so what arrives at your door is the piece you chose on screen.

Between two and six carats is the range most people choose for a gents' ring or a noticeable pendant. Here colour drives the price more than size does, which is why two stones of near-identical weight can be priced very differently.

On the Mohs scale peridot rates 6.5 to 7. That is middle-of-the-road hardness: comfortable in pendants and earrings, and in rings worn with some care. Store it apart from harder stones so it does not pick up scratches, and wipe it with a damp cloth rather than scrubbing.

Whoever you buy peridot from, make sure of three things: the stone is natural rather than lab-grown, glass or glass-filled; any treatment is stated in writing; and the weight quoted is the weight of the finished stone. We check every peridot for those three points before it is listed, a certificate is available on request, and because you pay on delivery you can look at the stone — or have it tested — before any money changes hands.

We sell natural stones only and inspect each one before it is listed. Treatment for this stone: Treatment not tested. Certificate available on request. As general background (not a statement about this stone): Peridot is usually untreated. Ask us on WhatsApp and we will tell you what we know about this exact stone; independent lab testing is available on request.

A certificate of authenticity is available on request for this stone, and independent laboratory testing can be arranged. Because you pay on delivery, you can also take the stone to a lab of your choice within the 7-day return window. Read more on our authenticity page.