Napoleon, a French military officer, was well-known for offering Josephine, the empress of French, a Peridot gemstone to proclaim his love and attachment. In Hawaii, the Peridot symbolizes the tears of Hele, the divinity of fire and volcanoes. The rage of August Birthstone Peridot expanded in the mid-1800s, acquiring its elevation during the Victorian and Edwardian eras when bright gems were at the pinnacle of trend.