Sixteenth Anniversary Stone: Peridot
The sixteenth wedding anniversary stone is peridot, an olive-green stone. Here's what it is, how it holds up to everyday wear, and how to turn it into a piece worth keeping.
Key takeaways
- The 16th anniversary stone is peridot on both the traditional and modern lists, according to the International Gem Society.
- Peridot is the olive-to-lime green gem also known as the August birthstone, so a 16-year gift can quietly double as a nod to an August partner.
- It sits at about 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs hardness scale, which is fine for a pendant or earrings but asks for a protective setting in a ring worn every day.
- Peridot's colour comes from iron inside the mineral itself, so the green is natural and does not fade the way some treated stones can.
- For a piece that lasts another sixteen years, we build peridot into gold or platinum by hand in our Coquitlam workshop, matching the setting to how the wearer actually lives.
- See where peridot falls among the other anniversary stones before you choose the shape and metal.
What is the 16th anniversary stone?
The 16th anniversary stone is peridot. Unlike a lot of years where the old and the new lists argue with each other, sixteen is straightforward: both the traditional roster and the modern one land on the same green gem, as you can confirm on the International Gem Society anniversary list. So you do not have to pick a side. Whether your partner leans classic or contemporary, peridot is the honest answer.
What peridot actually is
Peridot is the gem-quality form of a mineral called olivine, and its colour runs from a soft olive to a bright, almost electric lime. What sets it apart from most green stones is where the colour comes from. In many gems, green is caused by a trace impurity. In peridot, the green is built into the iron content of the stone itself, so you get that same warm green no matter which way you turn it in the light. It is one of the few gems that comes in essentially one colour, with the variation being how yellow or how deep the green reads.
On hardness, peridot sits around 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs scale. That is middle of the road. It is hard enough to wear and enjoy, but not so tough that you can be careless with it. A peridot pendant or a pair of earrings will shrug off ordinary handling for years. A peridot ring worn on the hand you use for everything needs a little more thought, because the stone can pick up scratches from harder materials and knock against door frames and countertops. You can read more about how peridot behaves against other stones on our gemstone guide.
Why peridot for year sixteen
There is no grand ancient legend that pins peridot to the sixteenth year specifically. The anniversary lists were assembled over the last century or so, and sixteen simply drew the green stone. That said, peridot has a long and genuine history worth knowing. It was mined in the Red Sea on an island the Egyptians worked for well over a thousand years, and some of the green stones in old European church treasuries turned out, on closer inspection, to be peridot rather than emerald. So while the year-to-stone match is a modern convention, the gem behind it is old and well travelled. For a sixteenth anniversary, the appeal is plainer than any myth: it is a fresh, cheerful green that does not try too hard, which suits a marriage that has settled into itself.
Choosing a peridot piece
Here is where the hardness rating earns its keep. If you want peridot on a hand, my honest advice is a pendant over a ring. A peridot pendant lets the colour sit front and centre with almost no wear risk, and the green looks terrific against both white and yellow metals. Earrings are the second-safest choice for the same reason: they hang free and rarely take a knock. If your partner really wants a ring, go for a bezel or a half-bezel setting where a rim of metal wraps and shields the edges of the stone, rather than tall prongs that leave the girdle exposed. Skip the peridot ring as an everyday band and treat it as an occasion piece instead.
On colour, buy with your eyes. A slightly yellower peridot reads warm and vintage; a deeper, purer green reads richer and costs a bit more. Neither is wrong. We set peridot into 14k and 18k gold as well as platinum, and yellow gold in particular flatters the stone by echoing its warmth. Everything we make is built by hand here in Coquitlam, so we can size the stone, pick the setting height, and match the metal to how the person wears the rest of their jewellery before we ever cut metal.
Keeping peridot looking right
Peridot is not as delicate as pearl or opal, but it is not diamond either, so a few habits go a long way. Take a peridot ring off before gardening, cleaning, or the gym. Store it on its own in a soft pouch so a harder stone in the same drawer cannot scratch it. Clean it with warm water, a drop of mild soap, and a soft brush. Keep it away from ultrasonic cleaners and any sudden change in temperature, because peridot does not love thermal shock. Do that, and the green you buy on your sixteenth will still be the green you see on your thirty-second.
Turn your sixteenth anniversary stone into a piece you’ll wear
Bring the year, the stone and a rough budget. Our on-site goldsmith in Coquitlam will design it with you — reset a stone you already own, or build something new around the right gem.
Prefer to talk? Call our studio at (604) 653-6449.Frequently asked questions
What is the 16th wedding anniversary stone?
It is peridot. The 16th year is unusual in that the traditional and modern anniversary lists agree, so peridot is the stone either way.
Is peridot the same as the August birthstone?
Yes. Peridot is the birthstone for August, which means a 16th anniversary gift can also quietly celebrate a partner born that month.
How hard is peridot and can I wear it every day?
Peridot sits at roughly 6.5 to 7 on the Mohs hardness scale. That is fine for pendants and earrings worn daily, but a ring worn constantly is better in a protective setting or kept as an occasion piece.
Does peridot come in different colours?
Not really. Peridot is essentially one colour, green, though it ranges from a yellowish olive to a deeper lime. The variation is in how yellow or how pure the green looks, not in the colour family itself.
Is peridot expensive?
Peridot is one of the more affordable coloured gems, which makes it a friendly choice for a sixteenth anniversary. Price rises with size and with a deeper, purer green, but it stays well below the cost of sapphire or ruby of the same size.
What is the best setting for a peridot ring?
A bezel or half-bezel setting, where a rim of metal wraps the edges of the stone. It shields the girdle from knocks far better than tall prongs, which matters for a mid-hardness stone like peridot.
How do I clean peridot jewellery?
Use warm water, a drop of mild soap, and a soft brush. Avoid ultrasonic cleaners and sudden temperature changes, as peridot does not tolerate thermal shock well.
Can Vanhess make a custom peridot piece?
Yes. We set peridot into gold and platinum by hand in our Coquitlam workshop and can match the stone, setting, and metal to how you actually wear your jewellery.