How do I care for antique peridot jewellery?

Peridot is a softer gemstone, rating around six and a half to seven on the Mohs scale, meaning it requires gentle cleaning. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and harsh chemical dips, using warm soapy water and a soft cloth instead. Store these pieces individually in padded boxes to prevent the stones from scratching against harder diamonds or metals in your collection.

Are these pieces suitable for daily wear?

Pendants, necklaces, and brooches from this era experience minimal physical contact and suit regular wear. Rings and bracelets, however, face higher impact and require greater care to protect softer peridots and delicate seed pearls. Removing rings before manual tasks or washing hands preserves the structural integrity of the fine gold claws and pearl settings.

How can I tell Edwardian from Victorian peridot pieces?

Victorian peridot pieces usually feature heavier gold weights, deeper settings, and robust brooch mechanisms or multi-stone cluster arrangements. The stones often display warmer, slightly brownish-green tones. Edwardian items lean towards lighter, airier platinum and yellow gold frameworks, incorporating garland motifs, lavalier drops, and brighter yellowish-green peridots paired with seed pearls.

What is a Suffragette peridot ring?

A Suffragette ring combines green peridot, white pearls or diamonds, and violet amethyst to represent the movement's colours. These pieces date from the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. They carry distinct historical significance, often utilising 18ct or 15ct gold mounts with stones arranged in alternating rows or cluster formations.