Beryl - Wikipedia
Beryl - Wikipedia
Beryl - Wikipedia
Beryl
Beryl (/ˈbɛrəl/ BERR-əl) is a mineral composed
Beryl
of beryllium aluminium silicate with the chemical
formula Be3Al2Si6O18.[6] Well-known varieties of beryl
include emerald and aquamarine. Naturally
occurring, hexagonal crystals of beryl can be up to several
meters in size, but terminated crystals are relatively rare.
Pure beryl is colorless, but it is frequently tinted by
impurities; possible colors are green, blue, yellow, pink,
and red (the rarest). It is an ore source of beryllium.[7]
Etymology
The word beryl – Middle English: beril – is borrowed, Three varieties of beryl (left to
via Old French: beryl and Latin: beryllus, from Ancient right): morganite, aquamarine and emerald
Greek βήρυλλος bḗryllos, which referred to a 'precious General
blue-green color-of-sea-water
[2] Category Cyclosilicate
stone'; from Prakrit veruḷiya, veḷuriya 'beryl' (compare
the pseudo-Sanskritization वैडू र्य vaiḍūrya 'cat's eye; Formula Be3Al2Si6O18
jewel; lapis lazuli', traditionally explained as '(brought) (repeating unit)
from (the city of) Vidūra'),[8] which is ultimately IMA symbol Brl[1]
of Dravidian origin, maybe from the name
Strunz classification 9.CJ.05
of Belur or Velur, a town in Karnataka,
southern India.[9] The term was later adopted for the Crystal system Hexagonal
mineral beryl more exclusively. Crystal class Dihexagonal
dipyramidal
When the first eyeglasses were constructed in 13th-
(6/mmm)
century Italy, the lenses were made of beryl (or of rock
crystal) as glass could not be made clear enough. H-M symbol:
Consequently, glasses were named Brillen in (6/m 2/m 2/m)
German[10] (bril in Dutch and briller in Danish). Space group P6/mcc
Unit cell a = 9.21 Å, c =
Deposits 9.19 Å; Z = 2
Identification
Beryl is a common mineral, and it is widely distributed in
Formula mass 537.50 g/mol
nature. It is found most commonly in granitic pegmatites,
but also occurs in mica schists, such as those of the Ural Color Green, blue,
Mountains, and in limestone in Colombia.[11] It is less yellow,
common in ordinary granite and is only infrequently colorless, pink,
found in nepheline syenite. Beryl is often associated and others
with tin and tungsten ore bodies formed as high-
Crystal habit Prismatic to
temperature hydrothermal veins. In granitic pegmatites,
beryl is found in association with quartz, potassium tabular
feldspar, albite, muscovite, biotite, and tourmaline. Beryl crystals; radial,
is sometimes found in metasomatic contacts of igneous columnar;
intrusions with gneiss, schist, or carbonate granular to
[12]
rocks. Common beryl, mined as beryllium ore, is compact
found in small deposits in many countries, but the main massive
producers are Russia, Brazil, and the United States.[11] Twinning Rare
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl 1/6
06/09/2023, 10:51 Beryl - Wikipedia
The pale blue color of aquamarine is attributed to Fe2+. Fe3+ ions produce golden-yellow color, and
when both Fe2+ and Fe3+ are present, the color is a darker blue as in maxixe.[22][23] Decoloration of
maxixe by light or heat thus may be due to the charge transfer between Fe3+ and Fe2+.[24]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl 2/6
06/09/2023, 10:51 Beryl - Wikipedia
In the
United
States,
aquamarines
can be found
at the
summit
of Mount
Antero in
Beryl crystal structure with view the Sawatch
down C axis Range in
central
Colorado, Main beryl producing countries
and in the
New
England and North Carolina
pegmatites.[25] Aquamarines
are also present in the state
of Wyoming, aquamarine
has been discovered in
the Big Horn Mountains,
near Powder River
[26]
Pass. Another location
Aquamarine within the United States is Faceted aquamarine
the Sawtooth
Range near Stanley, Idaho,
although the minerals are within a wilderness area which prevents collecting.[27] In Brazil, there
are mines in the states of Minas Gerais,[25] Espírito Santo, and Bahia, and minorly in Rio Grande
do Norte.[28] The mines of Colombia, Madagascar,
Russia,[25] Namibia,[29] Zambia,[30] Malawi, Tanzania, and Kenya[31] also produce aquamarine.
Emerald
as Zambia, Brazil, Zimbabwe, Madagascar, Pakistan, India, Afghanistan and Russia. In the US,
emeralds can be found in Hiddenite, North Carolina. In 1998, emeralds were discovered in Yukon.
Emerald is a rare and valuable gemstone and, as such, it has provided the incentive for developing
synthetic emeralds. Both hydrothermal[37] and flux-growth synthetics have been produced. The
first commercially successful emerald synthesis process was that of Carroll Chatham.[38] The other
large producer of flux emeralds was Pierre Gilson Sr., which has been on the market since 1964.
Gilson's emeralds are usually grown on natural colorless beryl seeds which become coated on both
sides. Growth occurs at the rate of 1 millimetre (0.039 in) per month, a typical seven-month growth
run producing emerald crystals of 7 mm of thickness.[39] The green color of emeralds is widely
attributed to presence of Cr3+ ions.[40][22][23] Intensely green beryls from Brazil, Zimbabwe and
elsewhere in which the color is attributed to vanadium have also been sold and certified as
emeralds.[41][42][43]
Goshenite
Colorless beryl is called goshenite. The name originates from Goshen, Massachusetts, where it was
originally discovered. In the past, goshenite was used for manufacturing eyeglasses and lenses
owing to its transparency. Nowadays, it is most commonly used for gemstone purposes.[45][46]
The gem value of goshenite is relatively low. However, goshenite can be colored yellow, green, pink,
blue and in intermediate colors by irradiating it with high-energy particles. The resulting color
depends on the content of Ca, Sc, Ti, V, Fe, and Co impurities.[40]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl 4/6
06/09/2023, 10:51 Beryl - Wikipedia
Morganite
Red beryl
Red beryl is very rare and has only been reported from a
handful of North American locations: Wah Wah
Red beryl
Mountains, Beaver County, Utah; Paramount Canyon, Round
Mountain, Juab County, Utah; and Sierra County, New Mexico,
although this locality does not often produce gem-grade stones.[47] The bulk of gem-grade red beryl
comes from the Ruby-Violet Claim in the Wah Wah Mts. of midwestern Utah, discovered in 1958
by Lamar Hodges, of Fillmore, Utah, while he was prospecting for uranium.[51] Red beryl has been
known to be confused with pezzottaite, a caesium analog of beryl, found in Madagascar and, more
recently, Afghanistan; cut gems of the two varieties can be distinguished by their difference
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl 5/6
06/09/2023, 10:51 Beryl - Wikipedia
bixbyite, quartz, orthoclase, topaz, spessartine, pseudobrookite and hematite.[48]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beryl 6/6