Peridot Opal Celtic Knots Necklaces in 14K Gold

Peridot is named after the French word peritot, meaning gold, because the mineral can vary towards this color. Peridot is the birthstone for the month of August. It is also the stone given to celebrate the 16th year of marriage. Peridot has a very long written history. Ancient papyri record the mining of these stones as early as 1500 BC. The main source of peridot in the ancient world was Topazo Island (now Zabargad or St. John's Island) in the Egyptian Red Sea. In Ancient times, peridot stones were used for carved talismans. Island habitants were forced to collect the gems for the Pharaoh's treasury. Legend says that jealous watchers who had orders to put to death any trespassers guarded the entire island. The story continues that the miners worked in the daytime as well as night, as the gems could be found after nightfall due to their radiance. The miners would mark the spot at night for retrieval the following day.... learn more

Opal is the birthstone for the month of October, along with pink tourmaline. It is also the stone given to celebrate the 14th year of marriage. The name opal is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit upala, meaning "precious stone," and later the Greek derivative "Opallios," meaning "to see a change of color".... learn more

A Celtic knot, also referred to as the "mystic knot" or the endless knot, is also known as the "Triquetra." Celtic knots are an Irish symbol, and the most notorious artwork in Celtic history, first appearing around 450 AD. The knots can be seen in mosaics on Roman floors as well as in patterns in Islamic, Ethiopian, and Coptic art, as well as in Byzantine architecture, and architecture from all over Europe. There is not much information about the purpose of these Celtic knots, but because of the large repetition of their existence throughout history, we are able to infer some basic information about them.... learn more