Sterling Silver And 14K Gold Peridot

Peridot Etymology: The Origins Of Peridot

As discussed in the former percentage in this series on Peridot’s etymology, the Septuagint’s ‘Topazion’ of 300 B.C. featured in the Second Temple’s breastplate, denotes what we call Peridot. However, it is very improbable that Peridot was the ‘Pitdah’ gemstone of the First Temple’s breastplate originating from the Israelite Exodus of 1444 B.C. We may conclude this, as Peridot’s invention took place around the same time as the Septuagint’s translation of the Hebrew Bible, underneath the sovereignty of the Pharaoh Ptolemy II, circa 300 B.C. In addition, we recognise that the Septuagint’s misappropriation of ‘Topazion’ led to the misnomer of the 1611 ‘King James Version,’ denoting it as ‘Topaz’. But what of the word Peridot and it is etymological roots, how did it receive it is current moniker?

The origin of the word Peridot itself is unclear. However, one thing is sure, that the term was not in existence before the 1st Century A.D. at the time of Pliny: As he without doubt or question refers to Peridot from the Island of Zabargad as ‘Topazion’. In fact this term was used to denote Peridot up until the fall of the Roman Empire.

During Pliny’s time it was not not common that gemstones received more than one name, and that unrelated gems percentage names in common: a innovative example of this is Olivine and Chrysolite, both applied to denote Peridot. Another generic appendage was ‘Paederos’ (Greek for: ‘Beautiful Youth’), or ‘Pederote,’ (Latin: pronounced Ped-or-oat): applied by Pliny to denote amethyst and opal. ‘Pederote,’ was also applied by the Roman public at huge to refer to good-looking gems.

Towards the end of the Roman Empire, Western Europe fell to the barbarians, but in the Near East Roman culture pulled through within the Byzantine Empire. Under the Byzantines, words and languages bequeathed by the former Greek and Roman cultures were continued. Similarly art and culture prospered, peculiarly the accomplishments of the lapidaries. However, soon sufficient the East became the jealousy of the West, and beneath the pious conception of reuniting Christendom with the West, the crusades began. France, with it is Templar Knights, was at the forefront of the eight crusades that took place amid the 10th and the 12th Centuries A.D. During this time the Templar Knights amassed great wealth in precious metals, jewelry and gemstone’s: including Peridot. After returning to Europe with their newly acquired wealth, they purchased position, titles and lands in the Anglo-Norman kingdom.

It was for the duration of the crusades that a perversion of the Roman word ‘Pederote’ resurfaced. It appeared in the French book ‘Les Lapidaires Français.’ written sometime amidst 1100 and 1250 A.D. The book outlined 60 gems giving their medicinal value, magical properties and moral significations: one of the featured gems was the ‘Pedoretés’ (pronounced Peh-door-ret). The ‘Lapidaire Français.’ was written specifically for the use of the educated Norman aristocracy who also occupied England at the time. The basi recorded instance of this word in usual use by the aristocracy appears in a 11th Century message written by the French lord, Mont Cassin de Solinus, where he uses a word to describe a green gemstone: ‘Perodote’ (pronounced Peh-roh-doh).

However, comparing the earlier Roman ‘Pedoretés’ (Peh-doh-ret) with the French ‘Perodote’ (Peh-roh-doh) we may listen that there has been a reversal of the second and third syllable. In linguistics this is called ‘Metathesis’: a phenomenon where two sounds appearing in queer order in one word, overtime will occur in the reverse order in the same word. French etymologists from the ‘Académie Français’ believe that this explains the shift in ‘Pederote.’

The excerption beneath was taken from a later book ‘Lapidaire Des Pierres Gravées’ documenting the etymology of Peridot in France from the 13th Century onwards. It gives Peridot’s name for the duration of the 13th Century as ‘Peridol’ (pronounced Peh-rii-dole), and as ‘Peridon’ (pronounced Peh-rii-dohn) for the duration of the later 14th Century.

Peridon (Peridol) [Peridot gemstone, also called green-yellowish olivine. 'A gem called peridon enclosed in gold.' xx sols t, (invoice of the Duke of Berry, year 1416.)- viii 'gemstones of which there were a grenas, a lopue, an ametiste and a peridol' (invoice of the Duke of Anjou year 1360.] “

As noted before, the Norman French occupied England for the duration of this period, and the aristocracy imposed their language upon their English subjects. This primarily influenced the development of the English language: causing Old French words to be assimilated into the Middle English language. However, Peridot wasn’t the only alias to be appropriated to the green gemstone from these sources.

Up until the 19th Century A.D. another Greek word was likewise used to denote Peridot and other gemstones similar in aspect: ‘Chrysolite’. This in the first place came from the Greek ‘Khrysolithos’, ‘Khryso’ meaning golden and ‘Lithos’ meaning stone. It transformed into ‘Chrysolithus’ in Latin, and ‘Crisolite’ in Old French, in the end getting ‘Chrysolite’ in Middle English.

In 1112 A.D., including Chrysolite with a poem in tribute to Adam and Eve, the French poetical Philippe de Thaon wrote: ‘Crisolite ure celeste, qui ourent out vie terrestre.’ Translated the passage reads: ‘Chrysolite the celestial happiness, which they had with the terrestrial life.’ However, there is no conclusive proof to indicate that he was talking of our Peridot, as Chrysolite was also employed to describe the majority of all yellow to yellow-green transparent gemstones including: topaz, prehnite, apatite, sapphire, chrysoberyl, beryl, tourmaline, and andradite garnet. By today’s standards such an inaccurate, generic term is disused.

A similar term of evenly wide connotations has also been appropriated to Peridot: Olivine. This originated from the Greek ‘Elaiw’ or ‘Elai’, transforming to the Latin ‘Olva’ and in the long run to the French ‘Olivine’. In 17th Century France it was a jeweler’s term for a assortment of their Chrysolite, today it is a term applied to denote one of the most mutual solid homogeneous inorgani substance types on the Earth’s surface, a magnesium/iron silicate in which the ratio of magnesium and iron vary amidst the two solid homogeneous inorgani substance extremities: Forsterite (Mg2SiO4) and Fayalite (Fe2SiO4). Peridot is in truth a rare sub-species of the Olivine group: Forsterite-Olivine. Forsterite, the mineralogical term employed to denote the Olivine species Peridot, was named in honor of the German mineralogist J. R. Forster.

Read Peridot Sterling Silver Jewelry Etymology Part I – In the Beginning

Read Peridot Sterling Silver Jewelry Etymology Part II – The Pitdah In The First Temples Breastplate

Read Peridot Sterling Silver Jewelry Etymology Part III – The Topazion In The Second Temples Breastplate

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Sterling Silver And 14k Gold Peridot Image

Sterling Silver And 14k Gold Peridot Image

Sterling Silver And 14k Gold Peridot Image

Sterling Silver And 14k Gold Peridot Pic

Sterling Silver And 14k Gold Peridot Picture

Sterling Silver And 14k Gold Peridot Pic

Sterling Silver And 14k Gold Peridot Photo

Sterling Silver And 14k Gold Peridot Pic