3.5" Natural Emerald Peridot And Chromium Crystals Minerals On Volcanic Rock Gila, AZ
Location: Gila, Arizona, San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation
Weight: 14.9 Ounces
Dimensions: 3.5 Inches Long, 2.6 Inches Wide, 2.3 Inches Thick
The item pictured is the one you will receive.
Peridot, the gem variety of the mineral olivine, is found in several locations in Arizona, with Gila County being a prominent area for its extraction. The most famous location in Gila County is Peridot Mesa, situated on the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation.
Peridot Mesa, situated east of Globe, Arizona, is a prominent source of peridot, primarily mined within the San Carlos Apache Reservation—the main location for peridot extraction in the United States. The peridot occurs embedded as individual grains and clusters within the basalt flows that characterize the mesa.
Access to mining on Peridot Mesa is limited to members of the San Carlos Apache Tribe, requiring a tribal recreation permit to enter. Permits are available at the San Carlos Apache Recreation and Wildlife Department, situated off Highway 70 east of Globe. Peridot Mesa is the remains of an extinct volcano, where peridot crystals are embedded within basalt layers ranging from 3 to 35 meters thick. These peridot crystals typically measure between 6 and 13 millimeters. The area is also recognized for its springtime display of Mexican goldpoppies. The nearby town of Peridot, Arizona, located within the reservation, benefits economically from the tribe’s fifty years of peridot mining.
