Chrysolite
Start here if you’ve come across “chrysolite” in an old piece of jewelry or an antique birthstone chart: it is not a stone you need to go identify separately. Chrysolite is a historical name — current from roughly the 15th through the early 20th century — for exactly the same gem now universally sold as peridot: gem-quality olivine. The material didn’t change; the name the trade preferred did, and older sources simply never got updated to match.
Species and variety. Chrysolite/peridot is a variety of the mineral olivine, chemically (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 — a magnesium-iron silicate whose green color comes from iron in the structure, with the exact shade shifting toward yellower or more olive tones as the iron content varies. “Chrysolite” and “peridot” both refer to the gem-quality, transparent form of this same olivine; there is no gemological test that distinguishes one from the other, because they are not different materials.
Appearance and color range. The color runs from a yellowish-green through a pure, slightly warm green to a more olive or brownish-green, and unlike many colored gems, peridot’s color is intrinsic to its chemistry (iron content) rather than a trace impurity — meaning there is essentially no colorless or differently colored version of the same species, and no common treatment changes its hue.
Hardness and everyday care. At 6.5–7 on the Mohs scale, peridot/chrysolite is on the softer end of gems in regular jewelry use — durable enough for occasional wear but more vulnerable to scratching than quartz or corundum, and notably sensitive to sudden temperature changes and acidic substances (including some perfumes and cleaning products), which can etch its surface over time. It is better suited to earrings and pendants than to a ring worn daily, and ultrasonic cleaning is best avoided.
Where it is found. Historic and still-significant sources include Myanmar, Pakistan, and the United States (notably Arizona), along with Egypt — where ancient mining on the Red Sea island of Zabargad produced some of the oldest known peridot — and China.
Birthstone role. “Chrysolite” is the name used in the historical monthly list for September, where modern systems all give sapphire instead (the UK 2013 list adds lapis lazuli). It is also, under this older name, the traditional tropical-zodiac stone for Libra, which begins in September — one of eleven signs on this site whose tropical stone is simply the historical monthly stone carried over from the sign’s starting month.
Gemmological properties
| Mohs hardness | 6.5–7 |
|---|---|
| Crystal system | Orthorhombic |
| Chemical formula | (Mg,Fe)2SiO4 |
| Refractive index | 1.654–1.69 |
| Color family | Green |
| Variety of | peridot |
| Also known as | peridot, olivine |
| Origins | Myanmar, Pakistan, United States, Egypt, China |
| Organic material | No |
Chrysolite is a historical 15th–20th-century name for peridot (gem-quality olivine) — it is not a separate species, and modern usage has largely replaced it with "peridot."
Where Chrysolite appears as a birthstone
By month
| Month | System | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| September | Historical (15th–20th century) | high |
By zodiac sign
| Sign | System | Confidence |
|---|---|---|
| Libra | Traditional tropical zodiac | high |
Frequently asked questions
- Is chrysolite a different gemstone from peridot?
- No. Chrysolite is a historical, 15th–20th-century name for exactly the same material now sold as peridot — gem-quality olivine. It is not a distinct mineral species; the trade has simply shifted to "peridot" as the standard modern name, and "chrysolite" survives mainly in older jewelry descriptions and historical birthstone lists.
- Why does the September historical birthstone list say chrysolite instead of peridot?
- Because the historical monthly list predates the modern naming convention. When it was compiled, "chrysolite" was the standard name for the stone; "peridot" became the dominant trade name later, and the older sources were never renamed to match.