Most larger crystals of peridot are found in veins or pockets within solidified molten rock that come to the surface of the earth via lava flows. A number of countries in the world are good sources of peridot, including but not limited to the United States, Finland, Pakistan, and upper Myanmar (Burma) in the northeast of Mogok.
Peridot from Burma – Photo courtesy of www.burmesegems.com
For more than 3,500 years, the Island of St. John, also known as the Isle of Zabargad, has been an important and historically significant source of peridot. Today, one of the biggest modern sources is the San Carlos Apache Reservation in Arizona.
