Stone lovers, let's dive into the fascinating world of gemstones associated with August birthdays! Your personal stones include primarily olivine (peridot), but also spinel and sardonyx.
Olivine is one of the few gemstones that only comes in one color, albeit in a variety of shades. Its name is derived from its color, which resembles olives.

Spinel is a traditional gift for a 22nd wedding anniversary. Olivine and sardonyx don't have any specific anniversary dates, but that doesn't mean you can't give them as a gift.
If you are choosing jewelry for your wedding anniversary, we will be happy to advise you.

Olivine – meaning and history

Ancient Egypt
The Egyptians called olivine the jewel of the sun. It was worn as protection against night spirits.

Roman Empire
The Romans admired peridot for its brilliance. They called it the "evening emerald" because it glowed green even under artificial light.

Middle Ages
In the Middle Ages, olivine was used in church relics and jewelry.

Olivine symbolism

Olivine is traditionally associated with the following meanings:

• Strength and protection : it is a traditional protector against negative energy, which can be enhanced by combinations, for example, with black tourmaline - scoryl.

• Love and Harmony : promotes relationships, empathy, and open communication.

• Renewal and growth : olivine is associated with energy renewal, healing, and growth, both physical and spiritual, which is facilitated by its green color.

Spiritual qualities :

• Opens, cleanses and harmonizes the heart chakra .

• Calms emotions.

• It encourages love, self-love and inner peace .

Why self-love changes your life? Read about it in our article we wrote for you.

Interesting facts

The largest olivines are polished, weighing more than 20 g. The largest olivine known to date is in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington. Its weight is 62 g (310 ct), it comes from the Egyptian island of Zabargad in the Red Sea.

Olivine has been found in meteorites and is known as cosmic.

The world's most famous olivine deposits

Egypt, Zabargad Island (St. John's Island)	High-quality stones are mined here, which have been used in jewelry since ancient times. This is the oldest known deposit.
Myanmar (Burma)	Mogok area. Exceptionally beautiful peridots with a deep green color. One of the most valuable deposits of high-quality olivines.
USA	Arizona: lighter shades of olivine, yellow-green to lime, are found here. It is one of the largest producers of peridot in the world.
China	Hebei Province. Olivine is mined here for industrial and decorative purposes.
Pakistan	Kashmir region: exceptionally high-quality, deep green peridots. Found in high mountain areas, above 4,000 m above sea level

SARDONYX

Sardonyx is considered a stone of strength and protection. As an amulet, it is said to bring happiness and stability to partnerships or marriage, and to give joy. Sardonyx is also worn as a talisman to give courage and fearlessness. It is said to be a stone that helps end family disputes and attracts good fortune and luck. It is also said to strengthen will and character. According to folk traditions, it increases psychological resilience and helps with depression. It is traditionally a stone that establishes peace and joy. It is often said to help with honest behavior and to give the ability to speak and communicate. It encourages the search for the meaning of life. 

The mineral's name is derived from the now extinct city of Sardis, in ancient Greek Sparda, which was located in western Asia Minor, in present-day Turkey. The reddish-brown or orange-brown part of sardonyx is referred to as Sard, the black-and-white part is onyx.

SPINEL

Spinel is associated with energy renewal and all things positive. It is a stone of hope, providing a source of encouragement in solving problems. It helps to suppress negative thinking. It vibrates with the energy of beauty and inspiration and serves to stimulate new ideas and to find and appreciate the beauty in life. Life is a gift. Spinel is known as the "stone of immortality", bringing freshness and vitality to all our endeavors.

Red spinel has historically been mistaken for other gemstones, such as ruby. Timur ruby It was considered the largest ruby in the world. It is set in the British Crown Jewels above the Cullinan II diamond.

Black Spinel is a stone of perseverance, helping to let go of the past and focus on the future. Spinel opens the chakras and facilitates the movement of kundalini energy, which can support sensual experiences. Spinel strengthens positive personality traits and confidence, success and its acceptance with humility.
Uses: spinel is suitable for recovering from trauma or illness, for replenishing both physical and mental energy.

Black spinel in Feng Shui represents the energy of water , the energy of silence, the power of peace and purification. It is the embodiment of unrealized possibilities and abilities. It is pliable and very strong. The water element brings the power of regeneration and rebirth, it is the energy of the circle of life. The stones are suitable for rooms that are used for relaxation, prayer or meditation, they are used to support the achievement of set goals. The energy of water is traditionally associated with the northern part of the room, apartment or house. It is associated with the area of career and life path.
The name Spinel comes from the Latin word "spina", meaning "thorn", due to the sharp points on the octahedral crystals.

Stone cleaning

Cleaning olivine requires a gentle approach because it is a relatively soft gemstone (Mohs hardness scale: 6.5 to 7).

Home cleaning of olivine

Prepare:

• A bowl of lukewarm water.

• A little mild detergent .

• Soft toothbrush.

• A clean , soft microfiber cloth.

Procedure:

Mix the solution by adding a few drops of detergent to a bowl of water, gently scrub the stone with a soft toothbrush dipped in the solution, rinse with lukewarm water and gently dry with a cloth (not a paper towel).

Avoid:

• abrasive cleaners, bleaches and toothpaste,

• hard brushes and rough sponges,

• acids, ammonia,

• temperature fluctuations,

• steam action,

• ultrasound and steam cleaners.

Method	Appropriately?	Note
Soapy water toothbrush	✅ Yes	The safest and most versatile
Ultrasound	⚠️ Questionable	Only for natural, untreated rubies
Steam cleaner	❌ No	Risk of damage (especially with treated stones)
Chemistry (ammonia, acids)	❌ No	Aggressive – can damage both ruby and metal

Remove olivine jewelry when doing physical work, sports, or swimming.

Energy cleansing and recharging

Charge the stones with moonlight, preferably overnight, or place them near the crystal. You can cleanse them with herbal smoke. Avoid sunlight, which can damage the stones and cause them to lose their color over time.

You can find all cleaning and recharging methods in our article here.

Who should buy which stone and many reasons why this one and not another can be found in our guides: Working with stones, where you can find precious stones by month of birth and the color scheme of stones by zodiac sign.
Are you choosing jewelry for your wedding anniversary? We will be happy to help you with that too.

We wrote the article for you on July 31, 2025

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