Provenite

About Beryl

Be₃Al₂Si₆O₁₈

A beryllium aluminium silicate that is the principal ore of beryllium and, in its coloured and clear forms, a major gem family. Crystals can reach enormous sizes, and the colour depends on trace elements such as chromium, iron and manganese.

Show 79 localities on the map

Photos of Beryl

Light green, partly gemmy emerald crystal of about 1.7 cm from the Coscuez Mine.
Emerald · Coscuez Mine
Light green, partly gemmy emerald crystal of about 1.7 cm from the Coscuez Mine.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Chunky, doubly terminated gem aquamarine crystal at the edge of its matrix from Mogok, Myanmar.
Aquamarine · Mogok
Chunky, doubly terminated gem aquamarine crystal at the edge of its matrix from Mogok, Myanmar.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Doubly terminated red beryl crystal on white rhyolite from the Wah Wah Mountains, Utah.
Beryl · Wah Wah Mountains
Doubly terminated red beryl crystal on white rhyolite from the Wah Wah Mountains, Utah.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Bright green emerald crystal of 4.3 cm in schist matrix from the Panjshir Valley.
Emerald · Panjshir Valley emerald deposits
Bright green emerald crystal of 4.3 cm in schist matrix from the Panjshir Valley.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Complete gem aquamarine crystal 5 cm long with a steep termination from the Jos Plateau, Nigeria.
Aquamarine · Jos Plateau
Complete gem aquamarine crystal 5 cm long with a steep termination from the Jos Plateau, Nigeria.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Doubly terminated gem aquamarine floater with muscovite, labelled Skardu, Pakistan.
Aquamarine · Skardu
Doubly terminated gem aquamarine floater with muscovite, labelled Skardu, Pakistan.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Large, doubly terminated, sceptred aquamarine crystal from Dassu, Shigar Valley, Pakistan.
Aquamarine · Dassu (Dusso)
Large, doubly terminated, sceptred aquamarine crystal from Dassu, Shigar Valley, Pakistan.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source
Gem aquamarine floater crystal 4.1 cm long from the La Esperanza Quarry, Dumesnil, Córdoba, Argentina.
Aquamarine · La Esperanza Quarry (Dumesnil)
Gem aquamarine floater crystal 4.1 cm long from the La Esperanza Quarry, Dumesnil, Córdoba, Argentina.
Photo: Robert M. Lavinsky · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Source

Where Beryl is found (79)

Afghanistan

Argentina

Australia

Austria

Brazil

Bulgaria

China

Colombia

Germany

Italy

Kenya

Madagascar

Mozambique

Myanmar

Namibia

Nepal

Nigeria

Pakistan

Russia

Ukraine

United States

Vietnam

Beryl on the same specimen with other minerals

Same specimen Quartz with Beryl at Shigar Valley

1 specimen photo(s) from this locality show beryl with quartz together. The pairing comes from the photographer's file name and label, so the relationship between the two minerals is not specified.

Same specimen Albite with Beryl at Mt Xuebaoding (Pingwu)

1 specimen photo(s) from this locality show beryl with albite together. The pairing comes from the photographer's file name and label, so the relationship between the two minerals is not specified.

Same specimen Fluorite with Beryl at Mt Xuebaoding (Pingwu)

1 specimen photo(s) from this locality show beryl with fluorite together. The pairing comes from the photographer's file name and label, so the relationship between the two minerals is not specified.

Same specimen Quartz with Beryl at Cryo-Genie Mine (Lost Valley Truck Trail Mine)

1 specimen photo(s) from this locality show beryl with quartz together. The pairing comes from the photographer's file name and label, so the relationship between the two minerals is not specified.

Same specimen Beryl with Fluorite at Chumar Bakhoor (Sumayar, Nagar)

1 specimen photo(s) from this locality show fluorite with beryl together. The pairing comes from the photographer's file name and label, so the relationship between the two minerals is not specified.

Same specimen Beryl with Elbaite at Tourmaline Queen Mine

1 specimen photo(s) from this locality show elbaite with beryl together. The pairing comes from the photographer's file name and label, so the relationship between the two minerals is not specified.

Identity

Varieties
Aquamarine, Emerald, Morganite
Strunz
9.CJ.05 · 9 Silicates
IMA status
Grandfathered
Name origin
From Greek 'beryllos', a word for blue-green gems; the original meaning is uncertain and an Indian origin has been suggested.
Elements
Be, Al, Si, O

Physical properties

Color
Colorless, white, pale blue to sky-blue, bluish green, green, greenish yellow to yellow, rose to peach, deep pink to raspberry-red; may be zoned
Streak
White
Luster
Vitreous luster
Transparency
Variable
Mohs hardness
7.5–8
Density
2.63–2.97 g/cm³
Cleavage / fracture
Cleavage imperfect on {0001}; fracture conchoidal to uneven; brittle
Magnetism / fluorescence
Beryl itself is not fluorescent; morganite can show weak violet fluorescence

Crystallography

Crystal system
Hexagonal
Space group
P6/mcc
Structure
Cyclosilicate (ring silicate); cell a = 9.205-9.274 Å, c = 9.187-9.249 Å, Z = 2.
Typical habit
Prismatic to tabular hexagonal crystals, often with pyramidal terminations; also radial, columnar, granular or compact; trapiche forms occur
Twinning
Rare
Optical data
Uniaxial (-); omega = 1.567-1.610, epsilon = 1.565-1.599; pleochroism weak to distinct; both indices rise with alkali content

Formation and use

Formation
Mainly granites and granite pegmatites, rarely nepheline syenites; also mica schists, limestone-hosted and metasomatic settings, hydrothermal Sn-W veins, and vugs in topaz-bearing rhyolite.
Uses
Gemstone (many colour varieties) and principal ore of beryllium; historically used for early eyeglass lenses.
Stability and care
Contains beryllium, so dust from cutting or grinding is hazardous and should be avoided. Colour is often modified commercially: morganite is routinely heat-treated, goshenite can be irradiated to other colours, and emerald is commonly fracture-filled.

Related minerals

Related minerals
Pezzottaitechrysoberyl
Can be confused with
Pezzottaite

Sources

  1. SRC-266 · Book
    Handbook of Mineralogy - BerylAnthony, J.W.; Bideaux, R.A.; Bladh, K.W.; Nichols, M.C. · 2001 · Mineralogical Society of America / Mineral Data Publishing
  2. SRC-267 · Website
    BerylWikipedia contributors · 2026 · Wikipedia

Draft data from the Provenite workbook. Check entries against the cited sources before relying on them. Photos are open-licence images from Wikimedia Commons; the author and licence are given with each photo.