The Gemstone Haven of Zabargad Island: Unraveling the History and Science Behind its Blue Peridot Treasures

Zabargad Island, located off the southern coast of Egypt in the Red Sea, is a unique destination known for its peridot gemstones. With an area of 1.74 km2, it is the largest island in the archipelago in the Gulf of Foul. Despite its lack of fresh water and biodiversity, the island is rich in geology, with peridotite, a coarse-grained igneous rock, containing beautiful blue peridot gemstones.

In ancient times, these gemstones were collected and used as jewelry for Mediterranean kings. Evidence of mining on the island dates back more than 3,500 years to ancient Egypt. While the Greeks believed the island was the source of topaz and called it “Topazios,” scientists have identified the rock as peridotite, rich in olivine and pyroxene. Inside the peridotite layer, olivine can form the gemstone peridot, known for its brilliant yellow-green color.

Peridotite forms deep in the Earth’s upper mantle, at depths of over 150 km, and was pushed to the surface through geological processes millions of years ago. Due to its proximity to the Red Sea Narrows, an area of tectonic activity, the island remains above the center of geological movements. Gemstone mining on