Beryl (Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈) is a beryllium aluminum cyclosilicate famous for its gem-variety daughters: aquamarine (blue), emerald (green from Cr/V), morganite (pink from Mn), heliodor (yellow from Fe), and goshenite (colorless). All are the same species — only trace-element coloration differs. Beryl forms in granitic pegmatites, hydrothermal veins, and metamorphic rocks; well-formed hexagonal prisms are the signature crystal habit.
Key Facts
- Mohs hardness 7.5–8 — hard and durable.
- Hexagonal symmetry; long prismatic crystals with flat terminations.
- Color depends entirely on trace impurities — pure Beryl is colorless (goshenite).
- Famous for gem-quality crystals reaching meter-scale lengths from Brazil and Pakistan.
- Only natural beryllium-bearing common mineral.
Notable Localities
Minas Gerais (Brazil) and Skardu (Pakistan) are global standards. Volodarsk-Volynski (Ukraine) produced classic heliodor. China hosts moderate occurrences in Xinjiang and Inner Mongolia pegmatite belts.
Found at these Localities
- Eastern Brazilian Pegmatite Province (巴西东部伟晶岩省)
- Ural Emerald Mines (乌拉尔祖母绿矿)
- Volyn (Volodarsk-Volynskii) (沃伦伟晶岩区)
- Skardu / Shigar Valley (斯卡都/希加尔峡谷)
- Madagascar Pegmatites (Sahatany / Antsirabe) (马达加斯加伟晶岩区)
- Linópolis Pegmatites (利诺波利斯伟晶岩区)
- Ouro Preto Region (欧鲁普雷图矿区)
- Erongo Mountains (埃龙戈山)
- Dachang Tin-Polymetallic Field (大厂锡多金属矿田)
- Inner Mongolia (内蒙古)
Available Products of Beryl
9 available specimens
Varieties of Beryl
Beryl is a parent species — the following named varieties differ in color or chemistry but share the same fundamental mineralogy.
- Aquamarine (u6d77u84ddu5b9du77f3)sky-blue to seawater-blueIron-bearing blue/blue-green beryl variety, named for sea water.
- Emerald (u7956u6bcdu7eff)rich greenChromium- and vanadium-bearing green beryl variety; one of the four cardinal gems.
- Morganite (u6469u6839u77f3)pink to peachManganese-bearing pink to peach beryl variety, named for J.P. Morgan.
- Heliodor (u91d1u7effu67f1u77f3)golden-yellowIron-bearing golden-yellow beryl variety.
- Goshenite (u900fu7effu67f1u77f3)colorlessPure colorless beryl variety, used for facetable gems.
- Red Beryl (u7ea2u7effu67f1u77f3)raspberry-redManganese-rich red beryl variety, extremely rare; almost exclusively from Utah USA.
