Peridot: A Gem of a Solid-Solution Series

摘要

The familiar lime-green gemstone peridot is also known as forsterite, olivine, and forsterite-fayalite. Its abundance of names is due to the fact that peridot, the gem variety of the mineral forsterite, is also a member of the olivine mineral group and the forsterite-fayalite solid-solution series. Solid-solution series are composi-tionally graded relationships between two mineral species. These distinct mineral species are the end members of a particular series, which itself consists of an infinite number of graded, intermediate members.