A 3.9 carat peridot — 4.29 ratti — at Rs. 21,000, about Rs. 5,385 per carat.

What the rate is buying

Cutting, mainly. Measured facet share is 10.2% — the highest of the fifteen, against a low of 1.9% for the smoothest dome. The figure counts how much of the stone's interior sits on a sharp luminance edge, so a high number means many well-defined facet junctions rather than a rounded polish.

That matters in peridot more than in most gems, because of an optical property described below. A well-cut peridot returns light in a way a roughly finished one simply cannot, and cutting is where most of the value difference between two peridots of the same weight and colour sits.

Peridot's double image

Peridot has unusually strong double refraction. Light entering the stone splits into two rays travelling at different speeds, and the effect is strong enough to see: look down through the table of a well-cut peridot with a loupe and the back facet edges appear doubled, as though printed slightly out of register.

This is diagnostic. Glass and most peridot imitations show no doubling at all, so it is a check anyone can do with a cheap loupe and no training. It is also why peridot can look slightly soft or sleepy when poorly cut — the cutter has to work with the doubling rather than against it.

Colour

Green covers 52% of the stone, with a warm cast — this is a yellower, more golden-green than the purest stones here, which read as high as 99%.

Care

Peridot is 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. Never an ultrasonic cleaner or steam — peridot is one of the gems most often damaged by both. Avoid sudden temperature change and household acids. Warm water, mild soap, soft brush.

Recorded as an Afghan stone. Treatment has not been tested, and we say so rather than calling it 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 3.9 Carat. Its price is Rs. 21,000 — roughly Rs. 5,385 for each carat. Origin: Afghanistan. Treatment: treatment not tested. Quote reference GS-000337 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.