Peridot or Emerald?

Cleopatra VII Philopator was Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, and its last active ruler. A member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, she was a descendant of its founder Ptolemy I Soter, a Macedonian Greek general and companion of Alexander the Great. The ancients considered these gemstones sacred symbols of fertility and immortality. Reportedly, Cleopatra adorned herself and her palace with emeralds and also gave them as presents to foreign diplomats and dignitaries on their departure, often carved in her likeness. Most likely, she intended this as a display of her wealth and power, however, there are some historians and Egyptologists who think that Cleopatra’s famous emerald collection was in fact Peridot..

Egypt was the earliest known location for Emerald mining, not far from the Red Sea. This mine was claimed by Cleopatra as her own, taking it from the Greeks.

Cleopatra also laid claim to the oldest source of Peridot in the world, which was found on the desert island of Zeberget. This probably explains why a lot of Cleopatra’s Emerald collection is thought to be Peridot. Most Peridot has been formed deep inside the Earth and delivered to the surface by volcanoes, some Peridot has been brought to earth by meteorites.

As well as using the stones for lavish jewellery, Cleopatra and the Ancient Egyptians believed Emeralds could be used to treat eye diseases and that the green colour represented fertility and rebirth. The dead were often buried with Emeralds to symbolise eternal youth.